How can I tell if a sponge is dead?

djryan2000 · 11/06/2019, 10:06 PM

I bought a piece of live rock from my LFS with sponges on it - the associate strongly recommended that I include a sponge in my tank. Upon some reading I see I could have killed my sponges - they were exposed to air during the weighing and packaged in newspaper and a bag and then driven home and just dropped into the tank. It seems like they’re a blackish color and I’m not sure if that’s normal. I’m afraid of them dying and nuking the tank - especially since I just added a $100 dollar fish!
Here’s a photo of the sponge:
Adjustments.jpg

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Daddi0 · 11/06/2019, 10:15 PM

It looks open/alive? I would not stress~
Cheers! Mark

djryan2000 · 11/06/2019, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daddi0

It looks open/alive? I would not stress~
Cheers! Mark

How could you tell that it looks open/alive?

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Sk8r · 11/06/2019, 10:44 PM

Black is not good, but there are some blackish low-light sponges. I'd just watch your tank chemistry, maybe run carbon, see if they grow.

mcgyvr · 11/07/2019, 05:32 AM

They will NOT nuke your tank.. Way..way too small to cause any problems if they were to die..
Just don't worry and if they are there in a month they are still alive..

Sponges like that can certainly survive air exposure..

Daddi0 · 11/07/2019, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djryan2000

How could you tell that it looks open/alive?

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Well when I have a sponge that dies, it is covered in algae pretty quick. The vent tube looks to be open and they look more of a purple than black in your picture.
Cheers! Mark

djryan2000 · 11/07/2019, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

They will NOT nuke your tank.. Way..way too small to cause any problems if they were to die..
Just don't worry and if they are there in a month they are still alive..

Sponges like that can certainly survive air exposure..

If they die will they just fall off the rock after a while?

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Uncle99 · 11/07/2019, 09:15 AM

The creatures inside the sponge which create the flow through the sponge
Start to die when removed from water.

Sponges need a constant water source which they move through their bodies, air is a very bad thing.

Sponges must be packaged in water and never leave the water for best results.
An LFS should know this.

Hope for the best....

It will start to fall apart as it dies, pigment loss going likely white

Not going to kill anything as stated above

billdogg · 11/09/2019, 06:43 AM

Those appear to be a very common sponge, and as luck would have it, ones that are not affected by incidental exposure to air.

There are many types of sponge that live in the inter-tidal zones - meaning that they are exposed to air at every low tide. I wouldn't worry about those at all.

monkeysee1 · 11/10/2019, 02:38 PM

+1 for sK8r's and Billdoggs input...
......leave it alone for a bit longer and see if the black starts to go away before chucking it. If it spreads, then yes - it won't be long for this world.....

11/06/2019, 10:06 PM	#1
djryan2000 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 441	How can I tell if a sponge is dead? I bought a piece of live rock from my LFS with sponges on it - the associate strongly recommended that I include a sponge in my tank. Upon some reading I see I could have killed my sponges - they were exposed to air during the weighing and packaged in newspaper and a bag and then driven home and just dropped into the tank. It seems like they’re a blackish color and I’m not sure if that’s normal. I’m afraid of them dying and nuking the tank - especially since I just added a $100 dollar fish! Here’s a photo of the sponge: Adjustments.jpg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

11/06/2019, 10:15 PM	#2
Daddi0 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Redwood City Posts: 1,354	It looks open/alive? I would not stress~ Cheers! Mark __________________ 2x 65g displays with a 30g cryptic refugium and 30g sump - 55g reef 30g Bio-cube reef - I.M. 30g reef - 45g freshwater

11/06/2019, 10:44 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Black is not good, but there are some blackish low-light sponges. I'd just watch your tank chemistry, maybe run carbon, see if they grow. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/07/2019, 05:32 AM	#5
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	They will NOT nuke your tank.. Way..way too small to cause any problems if they were to die.. Just don't worry and if they are there in a month they are still alive.. Sponges like that can certainly survive air exposure.. __________________ Who me?

11/07/2019, 09:15 AM	#8
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	The creatures inside the sponge which create the flow through the sponge Start to die when removed from water. Sponges need a constant water source which they move through their bodies, air is a very bad thing. Sponges must be packaged in water and never leave the water for best results. An LFS should know this. Hope for the best.... It will start to fall apart as it dies, pigment loss going likely white Not going to kill anything as stated above Last edited by Uncle99; 11/07/2019 at 09:25 AM.

11/09/2019, 06:43 AM	#9
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	Those appear to be a very common sponge, and as luck would have it, ones that are not affected by incidental exposure to air. There are many types of sponge that live in the inter-tidal zones - meaning that they are exposed to air at every low tide. I wouldn't worry about those at all. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

11/10/2019, 02:38 PM	#10
monkeysee1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: MERRIMACK NH Posts: 423	+1 for sK8r's and Billdoggs input... ......leave it alone for a bit longer and see if the black starts to go away before chucking it. If it spreads, then yes - it won't be long for this world..... __________________ Your "fair share" is not in my wallet; it's in my fish tank!! Current tank info: 90 Gallon saltwater 10 fish with a few inverts; NO CORALS! Tried to go reef; didn't work out so hot; FOWLR's for me!