# Is sponge hard to keep?



## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

My local fish store kept on telling me to start with sponge. As a beginner (me) are they hard to keep? Any specific requirements?


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## cyber_ecco (Nov 5, 2010)

Most are easy to keep. Some are difficult though. The really blue ones re the harder ones to keep. They are photosynthetic so they require light and are also filter feeders. Some of the easier ones do not require light at all and just survive from filter feeding. Usually these types are not very colorful though.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I got a sort of white sponge growing like mad in my tank. So it can't be that difficult, midn you it's not growing in light and has attached to a bout three rocks.

edit:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/spongesii.htm

Closer to the bottom is info you might find useful.


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## BBOSS (Jan 30, 2010)

I had an orange paddle sponge in my biocube 29 reef. It lasted for about 4 months and simply disintegrated. all water parameters were good, No idea what had happened.


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## KeMo (Sep 3, 2010)

BBOSS said:


> I had an orange paddle sponge in my biocube 29 reef. It lasted for about 4 months and simply disintegrated. all water parameters were good, No idea what had happened.


prob starve to death.. They are filter feeders and in a small 29 you would need to spot feed it. Not enough natural phyto.. That would be my guess..


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## teemee (Aug 29, 2009)

BBOSS said:


> I had an orange paddle sponge in my biocube 29 reef. It lasted for about 4 months and simply disintegrated. all water parameters were good, No idea what had happened.





KeMo said:


> prob starve to death.. They are filter feeders and in a small 29 you would need to spot feed it. Not enough natural phyto.. That would be my guess..


I had the same sponge - in my 75g - and use phyto on a regular basis.
My sponge didn't even last that long...


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## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

BBOSS said:


> I had an orange paddle sponge in my biocube 29 reef. It lasted for about 4 months and simply disintegrated. all water parameters were good, No idea what had happened.


they require alot of trace elements, including SI and some more I cant post. sponges are very delicate, but possible to keep. they require feeding, not only phyto but trace elements and .... .


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Many species that are sold in stores among the coral tanks seem difficult to keep longterm.

Species that appear in your tank from liverock can be very hardy and even pest-like.

A sponge would not by my recomendation of what to start with in the begginning of marine keeping.


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