Blue Sponge

[dan2x38]

I picked up a very nice yuma mushroom (several heads) on a dead coral branch. Along with the mushroom is a piece of blue sponge - very cool. I know the requirements for sponges or at least this sponge. I'd like to remove this piece of sponge from the coral branch and place on it's on piece of rock. How can I this without killing it? (they can't be exposed to air) OR should I just leave it and move the mushrooms? Either way do not want to kill either one.

[Hookup]

do not expose to air.

hard to keep... what foods are you feeding the system for the sponge?  Do you have the cleanup crew for it?  What hermits? 

[dan2x38]

Well right now it is just a piece almost the size of the tip of my finger.

I have blue tip hermits, scarlet, red tip plus nassarius, nerite, trochus, Mexican turbo, couple bumble bee and a few margartia & cerith.

I feed frozen foods like brine shrimp. mysis, cyclops and a spirlina coral food plus reefroids and freeze dried brine shrimp I crush up a mix in with some Omega One Marine Flake and Sprinlina flake this I soak in a little tank water before adding.

I know not to expose to air, give good flow and needs suspended foods in the water column. I really want to know if I can cut it off the dead coral branch with a razor blade then say tie it with fishing line to another piece of rock where it would grow and prosper? I have no experience with these type of animals. Are the a coral?

[az]

hey Dan that mushroom is actually rhodactis, and that blue sponge needs good lighting, dont worry about feeding them we never fed them here, good light thats all.

[dan2x38]

@ Az - what i sthe best way to remove the sponge then reattach it. If left on the piece of rock now won't one or the other over grow the other? The sponge would grow better on it's own piece of rock wouldn't it? thx...

[az]

I would break that branch/rock instead, no need to disturb the sponge, do it under water, thanks.

[dan2x38]

I would break that branch/rock instead, no need to disturb the sponge, do it under water, thanks.

I looked at it but don't think that is possible the rhodactis is connected to the same branch the sponge is on. Can you cut the sponge off with a razor blade then tie with fishing line on to a new rock?

[Hookup]

if possible, id' just mount it as one piece... if/when the sponge grows out, fragging it then will be more effective... sponge surival rates are abysmal for more than a few weeks/month or two. 

[redbelly]

I would imagine that this blue sponge is similar to what I used to have in my display, and if this is the case they tend to do better in decent light and are crazy hardy.

I was able to propogate the sponge to some extent but the growth rate was insanely slow as the disolved organic levels in my system were so low.

So yes you may be able to move it off the branch but I would advise you dont and just cut the branch.

[dan2x38]

I took more time today and with some diagonal cutters under water was able to cut the branch. There is a small piece of mushroom on the branch but it if grows out can cut it off and glue somewhere. It is up high and in high flow area. Hope it grows out but I have low organic levels too so guess it will be slow... if it survives? Will try to get a picture and post it.