Neptune Aquatics

Encrusting Sponge Problem

JTFletch

JTFletch

Supporting Member
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Hello, all. I have a lot of encrusting sponges on my main rockwork that are smothering my corals. I need some advice on how to get rid of the sponge.

-I can't take the rock out. It is part of the main rockwork
-I can only use glue/epoxy to cover half of the sponges, the rest are in locations that I simply cant get my hands into

What other ideas do you guys have that I can try? I am trying to research any type of animal that would eat the sponges, but I feel like every animal that eats sponges, also eats coral.
 
Moorish idol? I heard their diet is mainly sponges in the wild. Also, what kind of sponges are they? I loved seeing the pineapple/white sponges in my old tank, would love to add some to my current tank
 
Fish Boss said:
Moorish idol? I heard their diet is mainly sponges in the wild. Also, what kind of sponges are they? I loved seeing the pineapple/white sponges in my old tank, would love to add some to my current tank
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They all look like this one. Don't Moorish Idols like to eat coral though too?
 
Yeah, I guess they can. I dont have any experience with them, just what I have read about. Sounds like they are a bit hit or miss, and depends on the individual
 
Mostly just manual removal. Sponges generally aren’t that hard to just pull off.

Most sponges cannot tolerate microbubbles. You could intentionally flood your tank with microbubbles periodically. Or specifically aim a powerhead with airline at target sponges. In my Aiptasia tanks (when I was raising Berghia) I had sponge issues until I ran an air stone under the powerhead, dispersing microbubbles and killing all the sponges. The Aiptasia, unsurprisingly, were fine.
 
JVU said:
Mostly just manual removal. Sponges generally aren’t that hard to just pull off.

Most sponges cannot tolerate microbubbles. You could intentionally flood your tank with microbubbles periodically. Or specifically aim a powerhead with airline at target sponges. In my Aiptasia tanks (when I was raising Berghia) I had sponge issues until I ran an air stone under the powerhead, dispersing microbubbles and killing all the sponges. The Aiptasia, unsurprisingly, were fine.
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Didn't work for me. I had a single micromussa frag with a lot of this type of sponge everywhere, and it took two tries, scraping and brushing, plus a peroxide bath afterwards. I tried micro bubble scrubbing for a week once and it didn't do anything to the sponges - and I ran the bubbles really heavily for a longer duration. Only result was my hammers got pissed

This type of sponge also kind of deflates/smushes when you pick it off, so it doesn't completely get off. Kind of sucks.

I know a guy who is bleaching his 800 gallon because of sponges that he fought for a long, long time
 
JVU said:
Mostly just manual removal. Sponges generally aren’t that hard to just pull off.

Most sponges cannot tolerate microbubbles. You could intentionally flood your tank with microbubbles periodically. Or specifically aim a powerhead with airline at target sponges. In my Aiptasia tanks (when I was raising Berghia) I had sponge issues until I ran an air stone under the powerhead, dispersing microbubbles and killing all the sponges. The Aiptasia, unsurprisingly, were fine.
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That’s awesome advice! Going to try this! Thank you!
 
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