quarantine tank

Question
Hey Jen...you're the shit!!  When I set up a quarantine tank...should I be putting live sand and live rock in it or just leave it bare? If I ever have to use copper as a last resort, that will pretty much kill the sand and rock won't it??  Sponges...again...sorry(I should get off this sponge kick...lol).   I read that when sponges are transported there shouldn't be any air in the bag and they shouldn't be exposed to air.  I acquired red sponges yesterday and the person at the pet store had the bag open and was floating it.  She was also adding tank water to the bag( the water in the bag smelled bad) I got the sponges home and put them in a separate tank...they are losing their color and the water is cloudy.  I'm thinkin they are pretty much goners?

Answer
Hi Scott. When are you going to learn;)? Sponges should never be exposed to the air! When floating them in a tank they should be floated the way they come in with the bag completely full of water and not open! The bag then gets opened under water and the sponge taken out, under water, and put away that way. They also need to be bagged up under water so that no air gets into the bag. These are the only saltwater creatures that should not be acclimated the proper way. Maybe you need to find a new fish store to shop at. If your sponges are losing color and the water is cloudy they are starting to die. They are also releasing a toxin as they die so I hope you have them in a tank by themselves this time. If there is any part to the sponge that is still brightly colored you may be able to cut a piece off of it under water and you may be able to grow a new one from that piece. It is worth trying if you are going to end up losing the entire thing any way. Using a sharp new never used razor blade cut the sponge off at a point that is just above where the color is still bright(if there is any). Take that small piece out of the cloudy yucky tank by placing a plastic ziplock bag under water. Place the piece of sponge in the bag and zip it shut under water. Place the entire baggie under water in your main tank and unzip it. Take the sponge out, under water, and carefully, and zip the bag back up. Discard the water from the other tank that is in the bag. This way you may be able to salvage a small piece of sponge that will eventually grow into a full sized specimen. Only do this if there is an area on the sponge that is not yet decaying or pale in color.
Quarantine tanks are best kept with as little decoration as possible. Having no substrate allows you to siphon any debris that collects on the bottom before it has a chance to decay. Keeping the bottom of this tank bare will also help if you should have to treat for ich or velvet(two of the most common parasites and illnesses in a saltwater environment). These parasites drop off the fish to lay eggs and being able to siphon everything off the bottom means you have a better chance of being able to suck up the eggs before they can hatch. You can put something in the tank so any fish that has to go in there has a place to hide. I have found that a large piece of pvc pipe works best. It is cheap and can be pulled out to be bleached and disinfected between fish. It also provides a much needed hiding space for more delicate and shy species. It is also a good idea not to waste your money on live rock for this type of set up. If you end up having to use any kind of antibiotic or copper medication in the tank, not only will it kill off any organisms that live in your live rock but antibiotics will destroy any of the good bacteria that inhabit the rock as well. Best to save your money so you can buy more sponges!