Freshwater sponges in a aquarium
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To widen the spectrum of the aquarium hobby....
I've decided to go with something  totally out of the ordinary. Freshwater sponges
aren't known to have the beauty of a marine vase sponge but you can get them to grow like some of the simpler marine ones and create a biocover on rock reminecent of a simple reef. The African Rift Lake sponges are the ones that truly look more marine  than anything else in the Spongilla family.
 
Color: Usually cream white, but at other times green, brown, and even metallic gray. Food is the factor to their color.
Temp: 75 to 85 but can take a even larger range  without  problems
Water Quality: can take on nitrates even at lethal levels to other invertebrates (for example ghost shrimp) In most cases it will be the last invertebrate to  die from  from bad water conditions but, also, it will be the slowest one to recover if damage occurs. Once a sponge degenrates a certain size because of bad condions that persit for a long time, it will decide to die no matter how the conditions improve.
With all this in mind though optimal growth is with optimal water conditions 
Conditions for survival: Water movement, Food and more food and then some which makes this a, not for everyone type of creature for the tank.
Compatibility: with fish no probelms at all. Plants are a different issue, sometimes sponges take a liking to growing on plants and smother them,
not sure if with love or hate.
 
questions, coments? contact:  cvjoint2@yahoo.com