Sponges?

[Stomatopod]

How hard are sponges to keep? would they thrive in an established nano tank (6.6 gallon)? How often, and what do they need fed (I got marine snow on me)? Do they requir any lighting at all or no? I was thinking about designing a nano harlequin shrimp tank, and I didn't want water flow for their safety and the investment in corals so I was just curious about sponges. Do sponges release a toxin when they die my lfs says sometimes sponges die in live rock and nuke the tank (or they were covering up the 2 condylactus anemones I told them I got...)

 

[Herefishyfishy]

"Established nano tank" in most cases is an oxymoron. Outside of very few in homes or shops of VERY experienced reef keepers, no such thing. Sponges also require stability and the pretty ones are sensitive, thus gradually rot away in less than excellent water.

Shoot for simple stuff to start and get some wins. Put together an affordable display that grows and gets better and better. Go with Mushrooms, Kenya trees, Nepthia, leather corals, other softies. If you want hard corals, go for tough species of LPS like meaty dark acans or palys and zoas. No reason to waste a LOT of money learning how to get a tank stable for a couple years before adding delicates.

 

[Stomatopod]

"Established nano tank" in most cases is an oxymoron. Outside of very few in homes or shops of VERY experienced reef keepers, no such thing. Sponges also require stability and the pretty ones are sensitive, thus gradually rot away in less than excellent water.

Shoot for simple stuff to start and get some wins. Put together an affordable display that grows and gets better and better. Go with Mushrooms, Kenya trees, Nepthia, leather corals, other softies. If you want hard corals, go for tough species of LPS like meaty dark acans or palys and zoas. No reason to waste a LOT of money learning how to get a tank stable for a couple years before adding delicates.

Well in that case.. would this light be suitable for zoas, ricordae, yellow colony polyps, and xenia?: Aqualight Dual Lamp T5 HO Light Fixtures | thatpetplace.com I have the 30" version and every single coral I owned except my ricordae just decreased in numbers.. everyday I notice 3 or more heads missing.. I have an extremely tough time managing alkalinity... I used reef buffer for ph everyday and idk if thats the cause or the lighting... Calcium reading 320, and my DKH is 27..
:jaw:Also the tank is only 9 inches high so If I understand correctly it would be more intense then in a 30" 29 gallon.

 

[NC2WA]

Generally speaking T5 should be ok for the corals you mentioned..your calcium is low, should be in the range of 400-450

also generally speaking sponges require low to no lighting...back in the day, sponges were used as a method of filtration for nitrates and PO4

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Well in that case.. would this light be suitable for zoas, ricordae, yellow colony polyps, and xenia?: Aqualight Dual Lamp T5 HO Light Fixtures | thatpetplace.com I have the 30" version and every single coral I owned except my ricordae just decreased in numbers.. everyday I notice 3 or more heads missing.. I have an extremely tough time managing alkalinity... I used reef buffer for ph everyday and idk if thats the cause or the lighting... Calcium reading 320, and my DKH is 27.. Also the tank is only 9 inches high so If I understand correctly it would be more intense then in a 30" 29 gallon.

You should have no reason to be adding chemicals with these soft corals as they are not what is depleting them. I suspect what is needed is simple saltwater changes and keeping it simple. The lighting isn't killing corals, more likely the cleanliness of the saltwater is the source of problems. How many pounds of live rock is in there? What type skimming? Any filtration that is adding nitrogen such as trickle or sponge filters?

 

[Stomatopod]

You should have no reason to be adding chemicals with these soft corals as they are not what is depleting them. I suspect what is needed is simple saltwater changes and keeping it simple. The lighting isn't killing corals, more likely the cleanliness of the saltwater is the source of problems. How many pounds of live rock is in there? What type skimming? Any filtration that is adding nitrogen such as trickle or sponge filters?

29 gallon tank, 29 pounds of live rock. 30 pounds of very fine aroganite sand (top fin brand, dry bagged), instant ocean seaclone 100, marineland canister C160 (filled with carbon, bio-balls, foam blocks, and crushed coral), 25 watt heater, 225 gph pecto powerhead (we discused that on the harlequin shrimp thread), no wet dry, no refugium, everything was canister and hang on. I always kept ph at 8.2-8.4, nitrates at 0, ammonia and nitrite never spiked once. I used amquel plus ammonia detoxicfier on very rare occassions, reef buffer almost everyday. water changes once or twice a month. salinity 1.025 98% of the time (I'm strict with maintaining salt levels)

 

[Holygral]

You should have no reason to be adding chemicals with these soft corals as they are not what is depleting them. I suspect what is needed is simple saltwater changes and keeping it simple. The lighting isn't killing corals, more likely the cleanliness of the saltwater is the source of problems. How many pounds of live rock is in there? What type skimming? Any filtration that is adding nitrogen such as trickle or sponge filters?

+1, why does everyone think that they have to dose, the simpler you keep it, the easier it is to maintain it. For 90% of reefers, water changes is all you need to maintain a reef, 5 years in on a mixed 125 and nothing but water changes. Save your money and out it into salt mix

 

[NanaReefer]

+1, why does everyone think that they have to dose, the simpler you keep it, the easier it is to maintain it. For 90% of reefers, water changes is all you need to maintain a reef, 5 years in on a mixed 125 and nothing but water changes. Save your money and out it into salt mix

Woot woot! Lets create a NO dosing club! Lol

 

[Stomatopod]

+1, why does everyone think that they have to dose, the simpler you keep it, the easier it is to maintain it. For 90% of reefers, water changes is all you need to maintain a reef, 5 years in on a mixed 125 and nothing but water changes. Save your money and out it into salt mix

Ok, all I know is that when I started saltwater, I just walked into the store, seen an orange spot mantis, and they handed me reef buffer, a 2 gallon, live sand and rubble, saltwater master test kit, hydrometer, instant ocean salt mix, and told me to just follow the instructions. (they also told me the mantis was a peacock that would get 10 inches... after some research at bluezooaquatics, I learned the difference... and when I ordered a peacock from liveaquariua they did the same thing.. sent me an orange spot instead.), then I setup.. and tore down lots of tanks and lived by the same instrutions for all my tanks. Soo.... When I do water changes my ph goes off and I use it.. that or next day I need buffer... I understand the whole nitrogen cycle just not the alkalinity, calicum, ph cycle..

Ironically, my 2 gallon was more stable and easier than my other tanks.:suspicious: I test my water every single day. My 2 gallon I skipped every once in a while and was still good so I really notice the changes in chemistry. Also I always used to use distilled water. Now I have a three stage RO.

 

[Holygral]

You PH shouldn't go off (up or down) due to water changes, a PH of 7.8 to 8.3 is fine, it is more important that it remains steady. In the winter my runs 7.8-8 and in the summers it is 8.1-8.3. I try to get fresh air in the house when ever I can as it will raise your ph.

 

[Stomatopod]

You PH shouldn't go off (up or down) due to water changes, a PH of 7.8 to 8.3 is fine, it is more important that it remains steady. In the winter my runs 7.8-8 and in the summers it is 8.1-8.3. I try to get fresh air in the house when ever I can as it will raise your ph.

I will have my water change and it will drop to 7.8 on me..then it will swing overnight like ph does and I have to fix it. My DKH was testing 27!! and I can't seem to bring it down without having to fix something else... only to raise it again.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I will have my water change and it will drop to 7.8 on me..then it will swing overnight like ph does and I have to fix it. My DKH was testing 27!! and I can't seem to bring it down without having to fix something else... only to raise it again.

You probably have bad test kits. If pH drops from a water change, you are adding saltwater that has not had any time to fully mix as in overnight or faster by power head mixing. The high DKH is also from bad kit or from messing with dosing.
KEEP IT SIMPLE AND YOU WILL HAVE MUCH BETTER LUCK

 

[Stomatopod]

I use chemical test kits mostly. I mix salt using a paint stick.. a bucket filled with water and instant ocean sea salt. Ocassionally I'll use stip test along with chemicals to make sure everything is accurate.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I use chemical test kits mostly. I mix salt using a paint stick.. a bucket filled with water and instant ocean sea salt. Ocassionally I'll use stip test along with chemicals to make sure everything is accurate.

There is 99% of your problems.
First, the test strips are near worthless. Either get some good test kits such as Salifort or Elos or quit testing entirely. The strips will lead to making things go from good, to worse or bad.
Let the saltwater have a day to fully mix and pH balance before adding to the tank to prevent wild swings.

Frequent small saltwater changes will be all the chemistry you will ever need in most marine aquariums.

 

[Stomatopod]

There is 99% of your problems.
First, the test strips are near worthless. Either get some good test kits such as Salifort or Elos or quit testing entirely. The strips will lead to making things go from good, to worse or bad.
Let the saltwater have a day to fully mix and pH balance before adding to the tank to prevent wild swings.

Frequent small saltwater changes will be all the chemistry you will ever need in most marine aquariums.

I only use test strips along with my chemical test every one in a while as a second opinion test to make sure the chemical is working right. I use API brand for testing.

So when I setup my 125.. and have the given ammount of rock and sand.. then once its cycled and slowly added with livestock. I should just clear the skimmer's collection cup, feed the fish twice a day, test once a week, water change once a week, and do nothing else other than target feeding?

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I only use test strips along with my chemical test every one in a while as a second opinion test to make sure the chemical is working right. I use API brand for testing.

So when I setup my 125.. and have the given ammount of rock and sand.. then once its cycled and slowly added with livestock. I should just clear the skimmer's collection cup, feed the fish twice a day, test once a week, water change once a week, and do nothing else other than target feeding?

Yep, that should do the trick and you might be able to cut back on feeding. I feed once a day, and occasionally forget but the tank is packed with edible organisms that thrive in a mature system. Time is on your side. The longer you go without changing anything, even as much as keeping hands out of the tank, the better and better everything will get. If the water is coloring (nitrates rising) or pH dropping, do a water change. If it isn't staying clean, get a better skimmer or add a refugium. Spoken by a "Keep it simple" marine aquarium keeper since the 1970s.

 

[Stomatopod]

Yep, that should do the trick and you might be able to cut back on feeding. I feed once a day, and occasionally forget but the tank is packed with edible organisms that thrive in a mature system. Time is on your side. The longer you go without changing anything, even as much as keeping hands out of the tank, the better and better everything will get. If the water is coloring (nitrates rising) or pH dropping, do a water change. If it isn't staying clean, get a better skimmer or add a refugium. Spoken by a "Keep it simple" marine aquarium keeper since the 1970s.

Ok, now should the sponges thrive in the 125 with feedings of marine snow every day or every other day.
I think I got off topic with this thread:sorry: I need to get:focus: (wow I just can't get over my 1 year anniversary in the hobby is the 17th of september... and I feel like I need to start all over again.. alot my LFS never told me).

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Avoid harvested sponges until you see them growing naturally in the tank. There are many cool ones that will develop in time as if by magic. Whites, Yellows, even seen pink sponges grow on rock. Can take a year to three for this to happen. Stick to forgiving soft corals and encrusting LPS such as star corals for awhile. Give the tank some time. It will tell you when it will support delicate life forms.