Sponges and Tunicates Replacing Skimmers

[Random Aquarist]

I was browsing the WWM book summaries and found something interesting. It's the records (http://wetwebmedia.com/tyreecmatv1.htm) of Steve Tyree's experiments using sponges and sea squirts as skimmers. I think it's a really cool idea. Does anyone have any experience with this?

[Frick-n-Frags]

it was a rage a few years back, but as the idea was fully explored, the concept of those cryptic zone filters and the reality of actually being able to effectively implement one soon veered widely apart.

IMO, it is absolutely not practical to attempt.

[Sk8r]

I think there's a scale problem. The skimmer is also contributing to oxygenation, which those creatures won't. I do think having a lot of sponges is a good thing, as long as you can keep them alive---as having a refugium is a good thing---the more levels of life, the better. I think stony coral can do a bit of skimming. So can shrooms, etc. If you can keep them apart, they're great at uptake, imho, and may even eat ich parasites at some stages of growth, who knows. I'm sure they nosh on newborn pods.

[greenbean36191]

It's not a problem of scale. Being a filter feeder doesn't mean they improve water quality. They're feeding off the same things corals are and just like any other animals, most of what goes in comes right back out as waste. You could make as big a tank as you wanted and fill it with sponges and you would still just end up with a big tank full of sponges and sponge pee (ammonium).

For actual filtering ability, just filling a tank with corals would make much more sense.

[SDguy]

teeheehee...sponge pee :D

[pledosophy]

I use macro algaes in loo of skimmers and things work out great for me. Have been doing this for years, and all is well. I am sure there are sponges etc in my refugium, but IMO the macro does most of the consumption.

JME

[Frick-n-Frags]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10537300#post10537300 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
I think there's a scale problem. The skimmer is also contributing to oxygenation, which those creatures won't. I do think having a lot of sponges is a good thing, as long as you can keep them alive---as having a refugium is a good thing---the more levels of life, the better. I think stony coral can do a bit of skimming. So can shrooms, etc. If you can keep them apart, they're great at uptake, imho, and may even eat ich parasites at some stages of growth, who knows. I'm sure they nosh on newborn pods.

If if iF if ................ :D

having a slice of the actual reef would be best IF you could keep it alive. that's my point, you can't with any normal technology/effort/technique/$ that would normally be associated with keeping your average reef.

all filtering hitchers are welcome, but we are talking major filtration component

[RichConley]

When something dies, the skimmer can quickly pull it out. Sponges/Tunicates will be very dependant on your bioload, and wont be able to do the same thing.