Natural sponges in shrimp tanks

TKD · Post by **TKD** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:37 pm

Janthina wrote:
Mustafa wrote:Ahhh...others (non-shrimp people) just won't understand. In any case, it's a great idea, *we* (i.e. shrimp hobbyists) all know it and that should be enough. Our whole hobby is so weird/strange to many outsiders that it's not worth it to bother explaining what a sponge in a tank is for.
No kidding...last night a craft store employee caught me licking and sniffing a sponge through its netting. I didn't even try to explain.

And why were you licking it?

TKD

Janthina · Post by **Janthina** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:43 am

I figured if there were any sort of chemicals on it, licking and sniffing it would be the best way to find out before purchasing it. The things i suffer for my shrimp....

No regrets thus far, as everyone in the tanks with sponges is still doing ok.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:06 am

The things i suffer for my shrimp....

Like you I also care about my shrimp and try to provide them with the best

Just don't think we should risk getting sick or else who will take care of the little shrimpies

.

RCSGuy · Post by **RCSGuy** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 3:44 pm

lol Seriously, I think sniffing is enough

No need for licking

Mustafa, thanks for the pictures

It looks really cool in the tank! Almost ... alive. I really want some now, I just don't like going to crafts stores ...

I agree I don't even talk about my tanks with friends (I'd rather keep my friends) lol I do annoy uninterested parents and sisters with stories though. I wish I had a sibling or something that had the same interest in anything aquatic (in my case, shrimp, fish, and turtles) as I do. But for now, I am suffice with this forum (as well as some others).

TurtleBoyPW5 · Post by **TurtleBoyPW5** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 3:52 pm

My girlfriend despises me talking about and looking at shrimp and aquarium stuff. She told me shes going to try and find a way to block me from going to aquarium related websites... lol

Hence i learned not to say anything or tell her how much i spend

Just like the MTS and java moss i have coming...

RCSGuy · Post by **RCSGuy** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:00 pm

TurtleBoyPW5 wrote:My girlfriend despises me talking about and looking at shrimp and aquarium stuff. She told me shes going to try and find a way to block me from going to aquarium related websites... lol

Hence i learned not to say anything or tell her how much i spend

Just like the MTS and java moss i have coming...

That's too bad

I would think it would be a great thing to have a gf/wife that shares the same love for the hobby, though it might not be so "great" for the wallet

Anyways, getting off topic

Anymore sponge experiences to tell?

Newjohn · Post by **Newjohn** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:11 pm

As for Wives /Girlfriends.

My Wife puts up with my Hobby. Even after I have flooded the basement more times than I want to count.
Keeping all sorts of strange food in the Frig.
And having to answer the neighbors questions, "why does he want to pick my Dandelions"

She even helps out once in awhile.
I had her pick me up 4 bags of Sponges at the Craft Store.

Out of the 16 Sponges, all but 3 are the light color and the 3 are Dark Brown.

I will be doing the Soaking Method.

Thanks
For the New Idea
John

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:22 pm

She even helps out once in awhile.
I had her pick me up 4 bags of Sponges at the Craft Store.

You are a blessed man John

Now does your wife have a sister

?

Guybrush · Post by **Guybrush** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 4:46 am

Here's my sponge experience so far:

Try 1:

I went to a gardening/hardware store and picked up a largish sponge for about US$8 (I sniffed it, but it didn't occur to me to lick it

). I soaked 2 days in a bucket, 2 days in my leaf soaking bin, and 2 days in a fish tank. After all that soaking, I eagerly put it in my RCS tank. No negative reaction, but even after a week, the shrimp didn't seem to be interested in the sponge. They even seemed to walk on it less often than on the gravel...

Brand: Dutch Boy Dimensions Natural Sea Sponge

Try 2:

This time I headed for a crafts store. After a quick sniff, I bought a 4-pack of sponges (1 large, 3 small) for less than US$4. After reading Mustafa's posts, I just rinsed the large one and tossed it in. Same results as the first sponge.

So I took that one out and put in the 3 small ones. The two that look similar to the large one did not generate any interest (they're the ones in the back of the first picture below). Happily the last one, which looks hairier than the others, got some shrimp grazing on it.

After a week or so now, they seem less interested though

It's probably because it's a small sponge and they already ate the current goodies off of it.
If I get impatient, I might end up hunting for more sponges...

RCSGuy · Post by **RCSGuy** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:15 am

Wow thanks for the great sharing of your sponge experiences Guybrush. Very interesting, and very nice RCS you have

I think I have decided not to get one do to the lack of space in my tank

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:46 am

After a week or so now, they seem less interested though
It's probably because it's a small sponge and they already ate the current goodies off of it.

I too think that is the reason they are less interested.

If I get impatient, I might end up hunting for more sponges...

It would be a good idea to have a rotation of sponges to let some grow goodies and feed some to the shrimp tank

leto3113 · Post by **leto3113** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:47 am

Neonshrimp that's my plan. I added my first sponge(a small one) to the shrimp tank a week ago and left my second sponge in a tank where I'm growing out some Synodontis Petricola. The first sponge the shrimp didn't seem to care one way or the other about. Today after a water change I'm adding the second sponge, which looks a bit "gunkier".

If the shrimp seem more interested I'll put that first sponge back in the Petricola tank for a few weeks and rotate them.

Neonshrimp · Post by **Neonshrimp** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:52 am

Today after a water change I'm adding the second sponge, which looks a bit "gunkier"

. If the shrimp seem more interested I'll put that first sponge back in the Petricola tank for a few weeks and rotate them.
My shrimp seem to like the gunky stuff, the gunkier the better

Let us know how it works out.

leto3113 · Post by **leto3113** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:03 pm

The "Gunk" makes me wonder about giving them used filter media to graze on. Or I could put a natural sponge inside of one of my HOB filters from another tank for a while. Hmmmm....

RCSGuy · Post by **RCSGuy** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:09 pm

leto3113 wrote:The "Gunk" makes me wonder about giving them used filter media to graze on. Or I could put a natural sponge inside of one of my HOB filters from another tank for a while. Hmmmm....

The sponge in the filter idea sounds good ...