Questions on photosynthetic sponges.

[WilliamH2529]

Hello, I’ve been setting up this nice little coastal reef I’ve got all the macroalgae sand lettuce added to it that I was interested in putting in now just really letting it grow in more.

Anyways my question is does anyone have experience with photosynthetic sponges? I’ve been considering one as I feel like it would look nice in the 5.5 coastal reef but I’m not sure if that sized tank isn’t large enough, if anyone’s wondering the filtration is a nano canister filter rated for 30 gallons and then I have a 240 gph wave maker in the tank as well so it’s not hurting for flow certainly.

I’m also interested if anyone knows of some low light coral I could use? That might fit the theme? The light is a 16 watt Asta 20.

 

[lapin]

If you dont mind feeding, Yellow Sun Corals are bright and dont require light. I have blue plating sponges. Thye seem to grow well. My angel sometimes eat them down to nothing.

 

[Privateye]

I have a blue photosynthetic sponge. The kind that grows shelves like a cap monti. I've had it for about 4 years and it has a couple of big, floppy plates. I love it!

It will happily grow right through (or over) zoas, but it will not go through hammer coral tentacles. It starts growing upwards at that point. Really interesting and very blue, even in white light. I'm not sure why they aren't more-popular.

I got a red one a couple of months ago. It was doing great and growing in a branching pattern. I think I might have sucked it up with some cyano or something during my last water change though. I don't see it anymore. It went from a smudge on a frag plug to 2" tall so it wasn't huge. Oh well. Things also get lost and pop-up later. I went 3 years without seeing my circus goby.

 

[Double monti 61]

Hi I have a purple ear sponge that grew large and I cut most of it out but I have some growing back now and I will be cutting it out very soon seems to be a very photosynthetic sponge l would love to give some away but I do not ship frags but if you live around dutchess county NY that may help that is a photo from above while pumps on.