Acanthella cavernosa

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Cactus Sponge
Cactus Sponge
Species	Acanthella cavernosa
Difficulty	Very Difficult
Min. Tank Size	208.198 liters 208,197.648 mL 55 US Gallons (208.2L)
pH	8.1 - 8.2
Temp.	295.372 K 22.222 °C 531.67 °R 301.483 K 28.333 °C 542.67 °R72 -83 °F (22.2-28.3°C)
Water Hardness	3-5
Stocking Ratio	1:1 M:F
Availability	Rare
Diet	Omnivore Other (See article)
Life Span	20-40 years

[edit] Alternative names

Cactus Sponge, Yellow Lattice Sponge, Red Lattice Sponge

[edit] Sexing

Hermaphroditic.

[edit] Tank compatibility

Do not keep with aggressive fish or invertebrates that may damage it.

[edit] Diet

A filter feeder, can easily starve if not enough food is available in the water column. Feeds on plankton, bacteria and suspended detritus.

[edit] Feeding regime

A baseball-sized sponge can filter 50 US gallons an hour, so plenty of particles need to be available to it. Requires at least one direct daily feeding.

[edit] Environment Specifics

Must have strong water movement and requires a shaded area. This sponge is not photosynthetic. In the wild it is found near caves with strong currents. Will not tolerate algae growth. A challenging animal to keep and generally do not do well in captivity.

[edit] Behaviour

Delicate filter-feeder, will generally stay static.

[edit] Identification

Brilliant yellow, orange or red colouration with many nodes making it's surface appear pitted and spikey. Specimens should not contain grey or white tissue as this indicates sickness.

[edit] Pictures

[edit] External links