yellow sponge ball dying?

karleejor · #1 12/10/2007, 05:34 PM

I purchase a piece of aquacultured rock the other day that had a yellow sponge ball. I noticed that it has a split in it and today some white stuff that looks like mold on part if it. Is it dying?

hyperfocal · #2 12/10/2007, 05:37 PM

Could be. I've noticed that sponge populations ebb and flow in my tank. First, yellow sponges were on the rise, then brownish-orange, then the purplish boring sponges were everywhere, now black sponges seem to be dominant.

Since they're filter-feeders, I've chalked up up as part of the tank's maturation process -- as the tank matures, different types and levels of dissolved nutrients are available so different critters thrive.

davocean · #3 12/10/2007, 05:59 PM

Welcome to RC!
Did they hit air?
Most sponges don't do well after they've been out of water.

m2434 · #4 12/10/2007, 06:04 PM

Sponges don't typically do well in reef tanks... Occasionally they may survive, but not often. Also, IMO the nicer they are, the less likely they are to survive

Justin James · #5 12/10/2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by m2434
Sponges don't typically do well in reef tanks...

Hahaha. You havn't seen my tank... My reef is full of sponges in all the cracks and crannies of the reef. Also my sump is full of them.

Dead sponge tissue turns white so thats what your seeing as "mold". Your rock that has the sponge on it was likley taken out of the water at some point in time for transport to your tank. A sponge almost always dies after being removed from the water. When purchasing a sponge you have to bag them under the water inside the tank. Also releasing them is tricky too because you dont want "petstore water" in your tank but yet you cant let the sponge touch air.

karleejor · #6 12/10/2007, 06:22 PM

Darn it. The sponge was exposed to the air. It was taken from the store basin exposed to air just to put it in the plastic bag and then exposed again from the plastic bag to my water.

m2434 · #7 12/10/2007, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by karleejor
The sponge was exposed to the air. It was taken from the store from the basin into a plastic bag and then from the plastic bag to my water.

Exposure to air will do it...

Frick-n-Frags · #8 12/10/2007, 06:35 PM

most of those large sponges grew oriented to a certain flow etc. they will not make it. but, what they do is re-seed and then re-grow where they do like it. if you flip your rocks over to expose the sponges, they will die, but more will grow underneath again etc.

also, the little sponges all over our rocks are hardier in general than the large ones and they can take the air better.
Although, air or no air, those big red and orange sponges are bad buys since they almost always die.