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05/09/2009, 11:51 AM | #1 |
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Collospongia Auris vs Cyanos
For a long period of time my tank has been plagued by red cyano in corners with limited water circulation. When I introduced a Collospongia Auris the cyano disappeared overnight!
Recently I had the opportunity to discuss sponges with an academic scientist specializing in sponges. He mentioned that several photosynthetic sponges have a symbiotic relationship with cyanos that grow within the sponges. That made think about the possibility that the Collospongia-associated cyanos may compete with the free-living red cyanos. Therefore, addition of the collospongia may caused the red cyano to disappear. Are there anyone else with a similar experience? Would be fantastic if a Collospongia colony could be "the cure" for red cyanos. |
05/09/2009, 01:05 PM | #2 |
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I can't see how adding this sponge to your system could eliminate cyano overnight. I would question this.
Just FYI, I have read several threads regarding Collospongia Auris. Apparently it can become quite a nuisance and slowly cover your rock.
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Cliff Babcock Intestests: Digital Microscopy; Marine Pest Control; Marine Plants & Macroalgae Current Tank Info: 180 g. mixed reef system |
05/09/2009, 01:09 PM | #3 | |
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06/08/2009, 12:56 PM | #4 |
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One month into this experiment and still no detectable cyanos! Would be interested to hear if anyone else has made this observation?
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06/08/2009, 02:13 PM | #5 |
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Sponges contain a multitude of pharmacologically active compounds. What if sponges also can produces substances capable of killing cyanos? Like certain molds produce substances that kill germs (like penicillin)?
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06/08/2009, 08:08 PM | #6 |
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could be: coincidence.
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06/08/2009, 11:14 PM | #7 | |
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06/09/2009, 05:10 AM | #8 |
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I think this particular species of sponge is symbiotic with cyanobacteria like corals with zooxanthellae...Anthony Calfo told me this at his visit to Greece.I am almost sure it was that sponge.There was in a 500G tank , it kept an area of 10 inches, and it didn't have to do anything with cyano occurence, though....
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06/09/2009, 08:25 AM | #9 | |
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06/10/2009, 12:23 AM | #10 | |
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Re: Collospongia Auris vs Cyanos
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06/10/2009, 03:05 AM | #11 |
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I suppose another possibility is the nutrient competing with the cynao for nutrients.
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06/10/2009, 12:05 PM | #12 |
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Where did you find the sponge?
Edit: After some reading, I'm not certain I want to know. This sponge seems to have a reputation for overgrowing and shading things like gorgonianss and corals.
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Later, KarlBob Current Tank Info: No tanks for now. Starting over in Austin sometime next year. Last edited by KarlBob; 06/10/2009 at 12:38 PM. |
06/10/2009, 01:32 PM | #13 |
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The sponge is in the display tank. I am not so concerned over the risk over overgrowing. At least in my tank, it grows less fast than the Anthelia and some other softies.
I bought it in a store. |
06/10/2009, 01:34 PM | #14 | |
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06/13/2009, 04:44 PM | #15 |
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any pics?
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We urge hobbyists to develop a good 'BS' detector that will allow you to question information presented to you without any experimental evidence to support it. chris Current Tank Info: 90 gal south pacific biotope 40 gal sump/fuge ,65 gal rebuilding |
06/16/2009, 04:25 PM | #16 | |
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06/28/2009, 07:04 PM | #17 | |
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Have been away for two weeks and my daughter has been taking care of the tank. She likes to feed the fish so the phophate level has gone up and there is plenty of macros. But no cyanos and the collospongia has not overgrown anything (in contrast to the Anthelia). |
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07/18/2009, 08:23 AM | #18 |
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A friend of mine got a (large) collospongia frag. His slime (cyano) disappeared over night.
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07/18/2009, 10:23 AM | #19 | |
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Quote:
http://www.saltcorner.com/sections/z...ges/Cauris.htm
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Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals. |
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07/19/2009, 08:03 PM | #20 |
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if you doesed a cyano killer like red slime remover, would it kill the cyano that lives symbioticaly with the sponge? also, to "test" your theory, why not add some cyano from a locals tank and see what happens?
come on......inm the name of science! i will subscribe to this thread if you do.
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07/21/2009, 11:45 AM | #21 | |
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Your other experiment is interesting and I have actually already done it. But I guess that is -in a way- like shooting on sitting duck. My tank did not contain any red slime and therefore it is reasonable to assume that the conditions for cyanos are not right. So, it is not surprising that the slime from "the outside" disappeared. But I have provided a friend with a collospongia frag and it will be interesting to see if his slime disappears. |
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07/24/2009, 06:21 PM | #22 | |
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every tank i've ever personally known has gone through a cyano bloom, and it disappears practically overnight once whatever needed to get naturally in balance got there. i don't know the history of your system, but don't think it's unusual for systems to go through a cyano phase and to have it end suddenly. that would be my argument for coincidence. i can't imagine an overnight change would come from the cyano being outcompeted by a freshly introduced specimen, so it would have to be some sort of chemical reaction to something the sponge produces, probably produced in large quantities after the stress of transfer and introduction. i don't see how it could affect things so quickly otherwise. if the cyano bloom wasn't just a phase naturally ending, then there is something fundamentally wrong with your system that's allowing it to prosper (flow and/or nutrients) and this doesn't seem like the best way to control it, especially if the sponge is as invasive as it sounds. moving the sponge colonies to your sump or a seperate fuge inline with the system would seem to be wise if this is something you do want to keep permanently for cyano control. i'd still pursue whatever the underlying cause of the outbreak was if you do attribute its demise to the introduction of the sponge. my 2 pfennigs. on an unrelated note, i lived in switzerland for a few years, and the hobby did not have a broad base there at the time. i was only ever able to find one reef store, in zuerich. i can't remember its name, it was over by a hotel with a very nice piano bar. it was small, very clean (of course!), and only had dimly lit tanks with softies, xenia, polyps and mushrooms, no SPS at all. i knew no one professionally or personally who maintained a reef system. that was 20 years ago, so i'm sure things have changed, and i am curious what the state of the hobby is there. i still have fond memories of the place, know a few expats who settled there permanently, and try to imagine what it would have been like to have stayed longer. it would have been a challenge to put together a reef in zuerich at the time i lived there without many trips to germany with rubbermaid in the trunk. (i don't mean to hijack your thread, feel free to PM me if you'd like to keep it on topic)
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07/25/2009, 04:06 AM | #23 | |
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Anyway, I am perfectly open to my observation being just a coincidence and therefore it would be interesting to hear what experiences other Collospongia owners have. The salt water hobby has really taken off here. I live in the Basel area (right on the borders between Switzerland, France and Germany). Within 30 mins we have at least 5 saltwater dealers and the selection of animals and equipment is just amazing. I guess it is the proximity to Germany, where the modern version of the hobby was invented, that has triggered this. |
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07/28/2009, 07:06 PM | #24 |
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i'm glad to hear the hobby is prospering there. i realized reading your response that my description of the zuerich LFS was pretty much like most philly LFS at the time... 20 years goes by very quickly! and so much has changed with our hobby. i just hope the current economic downturn doesn't crush it. my personal experience is 3 friends who've shut their systems down vs. just one who's decided to set his first up.
if this sponge is such a potent cyano killer on immediate introduction, and is so invasive that it's not a good long term inhabitant, then perhaps it would be a good thing to just move a frag around local tanks with cyano blooms. sort of like having a roaming bergia crew locally to eat aips (we've got some folks trying to establish that here). anything natural to combat recurring nuisances would seem preferable to dosing your tank with something like boyds, like a few folks with older systems make part of their routine. your cyano problem sounds like it was pretty minor, not a big bloom, so it'd be interesting to hear what the sponge does to a major breakout. chuess! (sorry my schweizerdeutch was always terrible.)
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08/01/2009, 07:30 AM | #25 | |
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