Sponge Fragging?

[salteacup]

I have a pretty blue/purple photosynthetic sponge that has grown off it's frag, and I want to take a little bit of it an put it in another tank and maybe add it to another part of its existing tank.

 

Here's where I got it: https://www.pacificeastaquaculture.com/Photosynthetic-Blue-Purple-Sponge-Frag-Reg-3999-Prodview.html

 

The current piece is still a pretty small piece of 4ish inches, so I don't want to accidentally kill it in the process. It has regrown 3 times from a tiny spec after my n00b tank crashes, so I think a little corner might be all I need to transplant. I plan on snipping a bit of it off underwater, and either dumping it in the other tank and hope for the best, or trying the "blender method" I've seen on a few other forums. 

 

Is there a size rule of thumb for fragging sponges to prevent trauma to the original piece? Should I wait until it is much bigger?

Has anyone here tried the blender method successfully?

[Origami]

I don't know about the blender method with sponges - I've heard of that being done with mushroom corals - but it should work, though it may take a while for stuff to settle and you may lose a bunch to your skimmer. Some sponge may release toxins, though, as a defense mechanism. If you're going to blend a sponge, you may want to seed it in its own tank (without other inhabitants) and, perhaps, run carbon on that tank until things take hold and you see a bunch of new sponge.

 

Fragging it should be simply a matter of cutting off a chunk and tying it down to a surface so it can attach.

 

One of our old members, Carla (aka Valeria), had this sponge and sold some to a bunch of members around here. They may be able to chime in to describe how they received their sponge (e.g. on a frag plug, fresh cut, etc.).

[mari.harutunian]

I have this sponge and just ripping it does the job. I use glue on a plug. Haven’t tried string.

 

 

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[Origami]

I have this sponge and just ripping it does the job. I use glue on a plug. Haven’t tried string.

Sounds great.

 

It's good to have other sources of this sponge still active in the hobby.

[salteacup]

Thank you everyone! Did you have to take it out of the water to glue it to a plug? Since it is a sponge, I don't want to let it be out in the air.

[mari.harutunian]

Thank you everyone! Did you have to take it out of the water to glue it to a plug? Since it is a sponge, I don't want to let it be out in the air.

I did. I’m pretty sure this sponge isn’t affected by it but don’t take my word for it.

 

 

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[gmerek2]

Take my word for it. Take that sucker out into the open air and cut it up With scissors. Then glue it to a dry frag plug. Been doing it that way for 4 years now. I'll send a pic of ones I cut a week ago

[gmerek2]

Sometimes if the glue soaks up in the sponge it can irritate it a little. So I would go with either a large piece, or I would go with a tiny amount of glue on just a corner of the sponge. On occasion they will come lose. But they do encrust on the plug within a couple weeks

 

 

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[salteacup]

Great! I'll try it! Thank you!

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

The blender thing reportedly does not work with all sponges. I'd just frag it normally.

[Leishman]

I have these 2 and just use a razor then rubber band the frag to rubble for 10 days.

 

https://reefbuilders.com/2010/12/15/blue-photo-sponge-collospongia-auris/#

 

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+2341+2512+3540&pcatid=3540

 

Never lost a frag removing it from the water to cut and mount