Where can I find a freshwater sponge?

[vampie]

I've seen freshwater sponges sold at science supply stores, I've rarely heard of anyone successfully keeping them in an aquarium though.

BTW, you can keep filter-feeders in smaller tanks, but you'll likely need to supplement their diet. Same could probably be said for bigger tanks as well.

 

[KIM_TMA]

That is tooooo cool. But I agree the feeding thing isn't something that I would want. Plus when I went somewhere who would do it for me. Ha nobody around my neck of the woods. It is hard enough for me to find someone to just go in and check to see if filters, lights, and fish are ok and running/swimming.

 

[247Plants]

You would have to find the right sponge and hope it doesnt try to reproduce on you. They spread by releasing tiny objects(cant remember the tech term) that are very irritating to the skin. I remember reading an article about sponges in brazil and how it was really affecting people in the amazon river.

I was actually looking into this for a long time and couldnt get any joy out of the whole situation. Seems they are even less suited to our tanks than clams.

 

[Esox lucius]

I keep freshwater sponges and the problem isn't feeding them, its feeding them enough without spoiling the water. The sponge I keep is spongilla lacustris and needs a lot of food but also good water quality, I feed mine on a micro-organism mix (using potato peelings in a jar of tap-water left for three days untill it goes cloudy then feed a small amount in the morning and evening using a small plastic disposable pipette) with yeast and occasional green algae. The potato mix will have mostly organic bacteria and rotifers which the sponge can feed on. As soon as the potato mix smells bad then it will have gone anaerobic and not good for the sponge. I monitor the nutrient build up using a conductivity meter and do water changes when levels rise above normal, this value will be different with each tank depending on substrate, and the conductivity of your tap water, plus bioload.

 

[jaylin]

You would have to find the right sponge and hope it doesnt try to reproduce on you. They spread by releasing tiny objects(cant remember the tech term) that are very irritating to the skin. I remember reading an article about sponges in brazil and how it was really affecting people in the amazon river.

Gemmules are the result of asexual reproduction in freshwater sponges. They contain Spicules that are like ... little glass fragments and they can cause irritation if you mess around with them too much.

I actually have to work with freshwater sponges a lot. They're really cool in a way, but the ones I find here in Colorado are, as someone already mentioned, sorta like big brown blotchy looking things. Most people don't even recognise them as sponges and think it's just icky goopy gunk on the side of a log or something. They really don't look at all like some of their more beautifully structured marine cousins.

Around the same topic, there are also freshwater jelly fish. I've pulled some out of Pueblo Res. in Colorado. They're little guys and don't deliver much of a sting to people, but they do exist. Cool stuff.