I have a 55g SW that has been set up for over 2 yrs with only 1 fish- a C. solandri puffer, full grown- in the tank with about 3-4 blue claw mexican crabs and few margarita snails (they don't last long- the puffer loves them). The tanks has a few corals- 1 frogspawn, 1 toadstool, 1 kenya tree, 2 finger soft leathers, some star polyps, and few mushrooms. All the corals are doing well. I had purchased about 1 year ago a small discount frag of sps that had a pretty purple piece of sponge on it. The frag didn't make it but the sponge did (despite being exposed to air while bagging). The original piece has been exposed to air a few times (water changes, live rock bagged for moving this summer) but has never died. Instead I now have sponge on every piece of live rock- not a lot but some. And it is not just purple- have yellow, green and white too. Is it good to have this encrusting sponge or will it kill off the encrusting coral that is starting to really grow on the live rock?
Encrusting sponge: good or bad?
- Thread starter ryverrat
- Start date
I've never had any issues with sponges. I think it makes my reef look more "real". I have had black sponge sting stuff though but mostly I leave that alone too.
Should be just fine, just make sure that if an area starts to die you remove it promptly. They can really contaminate a tank upon death.
Do you have any pics???
Do you have any pics???
I havent ever really had sponge dieoff in a tank.
A small angel might make quick work of it if you didnt want it in tank though.
A small angel might make quick work of it if you didnt want it in tank though.
I love sponges! I have payed high premiums for colourful sponges, lol, and they are only as dangerous when they die as anyother critter as they aren't "toxic" they just start to rot and produce ammonia and what not like if a fish died.
I am trying right now to collect and grow as many different kinds of sponges as I can before I get my angel fish...also probably going to try to get some going on some LR in my sump to keep seeding the main tank.
Mine are really cool. They were hitchhikers with some shrooms. They, too, leave stringy stuff around. I just leave it be and if it looks like it may rot, then I'll get rid of it. A website I often use is selling all different colored sponges.