Collospongia Auris

[Landia]

Curious what anyone knows of it. in particular:

 

It it invasive?

 

Is it a silicate(siliceous) or calcium sponge?

 

Will I need to dose silicate?

 

If you are bored can read on...

 

Here's what if found so far. Will be a poorman's anotated bibliography.

 

One poster mentioned it's not invasive, yet another is livid that it is.  I'm curious if the poster that's claiming  Collospongia is invasive is really talking about chicken liver sponge...?

 

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

 

Jake Adams mentioned the beauty Collospongia that it is not invasive like chicken liver.

 

https://reefbuilders.com/2018/04/02/five-reasons-sponges-are-bad-for-a-coral-reef-tank/

 

Years later Adams warns how sponges, in general, can hinder a coral focused aquarium and lists 5 reasons why.

 

https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/microsites/biodiscovery/03sponges-and-corals/diversity-of-sponges.html

 

Queensland Museum article states that Collospongia Auris utilizes cyanobacteria in its colony similar to how coral use Zooxanthellae.  

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/siliceous-sponge

 

This humbling read would have a biochem professor pawn me off to a layman's YouTube video...I think it's about how siliceous spicules are formed within a sponge...I think.

 

https://reefs.com/magazine/silica-in-reef-aquariums/

 

Randy Holmes-Farley Phd., put out this fun read that has just about the right amount of geekdom to appease this non biochem hobbyist about the benefits of dosing silica.  

[Landia]

I'll bump with this picture of a blue Collospongia Auris sponge.  Looks cool but charm fades quick if it's invasive.

 

[mitten_reef]

I had two small chunks in my tank at one point.  now down to one, the other was completely eaten by an urchin.  They're not invasive, need a lot of light for the blue to show, else it's more purple-ish.  I dont supplement anything re: silica beyond regular water change, and typical sps dosing regimen, been very hardy so far..  I have other encrusting sponges that have been growing at a much faster-invasive rate.