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  • FW sponges?

    Do we have freshwater sponges in this area? If so, where could I collect them? If not, is there a way I could get some?

    What I'd like is a tank with freshwater sponges, bryozoans and hydras, along with some local water bugs of some sort. Not sure that the hydras would be a good idea, in which case, I might use a small tank to keep them alone.

    Anyone know how that would work out?
    Trogdor was a man. Or maybe he was a dragon man. Or maybe he was just a dragon. But he was still TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!

    You know, fish are great. I love my fish. But what I really want is a monkey.

  • #2
    Dude we don't even have saltwater sponges around here (except for a boring sponge that eats away at oysters). I'm not sure, but I haven't heard anything about freshwater sponges living around here. They might be cold water too...
    75 planted (Being Renovated)
    Endlers
    gobies
    lots of nanos

    Comment


    • #3
      Well, in the information I can find, they do exist in Texas and, in fact, more than one species. If I recall correctly, they can be found throughout the mainland United States.

      Here's one page I found that specifically mentions them in Texas:



      I just have no idea where I should head if I want to find one and what to look for when I get there.
      Trogdor was a man. Or maybe he was a dragon man. Or maybe he was just a dragon. But he was still TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!

      You know, fish are great. I love my fish. But what I really want is a monkey.

      Comment


      • #4
        Oh, and I believe I read somewhere that you find more species of freshwater sponge in warmer climes than in colder ones.
        Trogdor was a man. Or maybe he was a dragon man. Or maybe he was just a dragon. But he was still TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!

        You know, fish are great. I love my fish. But what I really want is a monkey.

        Comment


        • #5
          Ha ha! Searching "freshwater sponges houston texas" in Google brings this thread up as the first link. Come on, people, there's a lot riding on this. :P
          Trogdor was a man. Or maybe he was a dragon man. Or maybe he was just a dragon. But he was still TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!

          You know, fish are great. I love my fish. But what I really want is a monkey.

          Comment


          • #6
            From http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/cit...B-SS-1040.pdf:


            Texas

            Old, M.C. 1936. Additional North American fresh-water sponge records. Transactions
            of the American Microscopical Society 55(1):11-13. (Includes records of four
            species from this state.)

            Poirrier, M.A. 1969. Some fresh-water sponge hosts of Louisiana and Texas
            Spongilla-flies, with new locality records. American Midland Naturalist 81(2):573-
            575.

            Poirrier, M.A. 1972. Additional records of Texas freshwater sponges (Spongillidae)
            with the first record of Radiospongilla cerebellata (Bowerbank, 1863) from the
            Western Hemisphere. Southwestern Naturalist 16(3/4):434-435.
            "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

            Comment


            • #7
              Way cool - that second citation is the paper I linked to.

              I'm thinking I might call TPWD and ask them about it. If I get any good information, I'll post it here. I'll also ask about freshwater jellies.
              Trogdor was a man. Or maybe he was a dragon man. Or maybe he was just a dragon. But he was still TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!

              You know, fish are great. I love my fish. But what I really want is a monkey.

              Comment


              • #8
                Here's an interesting discussion I found on the NANFA forum:

                "sponge" filter - posted in Native Aquatic Invertebrates: I haven't seen too many posts on sponges here, so I thought I would share. While out looking for plants a few weeks back I came across an area with a number of freshwater sponges. They looked as one might expect, smaller versions of the marine ones that end up in people's bathrooms. The only major difference being that they had very irregular shapes since they were growing among/around tree roots, stem plants, and...
                "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks, Mzungu, you rock. That gives me a better idea of where to look.

                  Also, I called both TPWD and the Houston Arboretum simply to see if they had any information. TPWD hasn't called back, but someone at the Houston Arboretum did. She said there hadn't been anyone there with that particular interest and she'd love to have whatever information I find.
                  Trogdor was a man. Or maybe he was a dragon man. Or maybe he was just a dragon. But he was still TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!

                  You know, fish are great. I love my fish. But what I really want is a monkey.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Cool!

                    You've got me wondering about a tank at work that has something I've never seen before growing on the driftwood. I think I have a picture somewhere...if I can find it, I'll post it.

                    Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
                    "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Sweet.
                      Trogdor was a man. Or maybe he was a dragon man. Or maybe he was just a dragon. But he was still TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!

                      You know, fish are great. I love my fish. But what I really want is a monkey.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        So, any idea what this could be?

                        Sorry the pictures aren't great, I took them with my phone a long time ago. But I can get better ones if needed.







                        "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          If it didn't look so hairy, I'd say it was a bryozoan. Probably a bacterial colony regardless.

                          As for sponges, I haven't seen one that looks quite like that, but there isn't a whole lot of information I can find, including pictures.
                          Trogdor was a man. Or maybe he was a dragon man. Or maybe he was just a dragon. But he was still TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!

                          You know, fish are great. I love my fish. But what I really want is a monkey.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            This is proving to be quite interesting. I'll do some looking around as well. Might do this is one of my tank.
                            75 planted (Being Renovated)
                            Endlers
                            gobies
                            lots of nanos

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              This person has some pretty cool pictures of sponges! But I'm having trouble finding pictures, too.

                              Another healthy colony that I only saw a couple of weeks ago for the first time. Beautiful branches of freshwater in the centre of a dead tree. Freshwater sponges are an important species, since they signify clean healthy water. Around 8 to 9 metres of depth. * Update 2011. Could also be Ephydatia fluviatilis. Needs microscopic confirmation. Ephydatia fluviatilis prefers salty clay ground, but this lake has sand.)
                              "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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