PDA

View Full Version : Sponge


tidal_waters
10-09-2011, 04:01 PM
So I have this sponge growing on the underside of a favia and over the course of a few months has grown to the point where its flowing in the current behind my favia. The question is, is there anyway to cut this down without any ill effects?

daniella3d
10-09-2011, 04:24 PM
It depends on wich type of sponge I imagine, but I have cut a few of mine either intentionally or by accident and glued them on liverock without any ill effect.

It is only dangerous when some sponge die if they turn white. I have a blue photosynthetic sponge that is incrusting and I am cutting piece of it to cover an artificial sponge so eventually it will cover the whole artificial sponge with a beautiful blue natural sponge (so I hope) and each time I can I cut pieces of if and glue it and they always have stay alive and spread nicely.

You could probably cut it at the base and remove it if you wish, or just let it set on some liverock. If you see that it is turning white, then remove it immidiatly and throw it in the garbage as a sponge that is turning white usualy mean it's dying.

So I have this sponge growing on the underside of a favia and over the course of a few months has grown to the point where its flowing in the current behind my favia. The question is, is there anyway to cut this down without any ill effects?

Proteus
10-09-2011, 04:27 PM
There is also some types of nudibranch that eat sponge if your looking to control it

daniella3d
10-09-2011, 04:30 PM
That's impossible as nudibranches are very specialized feeders and will only eat one type of sponge, so finding that sponge is nearly impossible in aquarium. I had a black noris living in my aquarium for many months and although it eats only sponges, it never touched any of the numerous sponges that I had in my aquarium, at least no flesh was missing from my aquarium sponges. It could have been feeding on some of them but I think it just died from starvation because it would not feed on the sponges that I had.

Beside, why buy a nudibranch only to take care of one sponge? it is much easier to simply rip it off the coral or rock if one wants it dead, that's an easy kill, no need for nudibranch.

There is also some types of nudibranch that eat sponge if your looking to control it

tidal_waters
10-09-2011, 04:32 PM
I'm not too concerned about the well being of the sponge itself, more if any chemical release from the sponge once I cut it back. I can't remove the favia from its current location, so scrapping, puttying or burning the sponge off is out of the question. I was more hoping that I can just clip or pull off the excess sponge growth?

tidal_waters
10-09-2011, 04:34 PM
Beside, why buy a nudibranch only to take care of one sponge? it is much easier to simply rip it off the coral or rock if one wants it dead, that's an easy kill, no need for nudibranch.

perfect, thats the answer I was looking for.

Thanks!

Proteus
10-09-2011, 04:34 PM
Ok

daniella3d
10-09-2011, 04:47 PM
what does it look like? Is it an incrusting sponge? what color?

any pic?

perfect, thats the answer I was looking for.

Thanks!