Alright, let's talk sponges in Minecraft. Not the kind you wash dishes with, but the super useful block that sucks up water like a champ. Seriously, if you've ever tried to drain an ocean monument, clear out a water-filled ravine, or just build an underwater base without drowning everything, you know exactly why figuring out how to obtain sponge in Minecraft is a game-changer. I remember my first time stumbling into an ocean monument completely unprepared... let's just say it didn't end well. Lesson learned!
What Exactly is a Sponge and Why Bother?
Before we dive into the "how," let's cover the "what" and "why." Sponges are unique blocks. Place a dry sponge near water, and it'll slurp up water blocks within a 7x7x7 area around itself, turning into a wet sponge. Super handy for:
- Draining Large Water Areas: Removing water from ocean monuments, underwater builds, or accidental flooding. Way faster than buckets!
- Underwater Construction: Creating air pockets so you can actually see and build without constant water breathing potions.
- Water Management: Controlling waterfalls, water elevators, or complex redstone contraptions involving water.
- Fuel? (Sort of): You *can* smelt wet sponges in a furnace to dry them out, getting the dry sponge back and a tiny bit of XP. Not efficient fuel, but a nice bonus when drying them anyway.
The catch? Obtaining sponges in Minecraft isn't like finding dirt. They're rare and found in very specific places.
The Three Main Ways to Get Sponge Blocks
There are essentially three reliable methods for how to get sponge in Minecraft. Forget trying to craft them – it's not an option. Here’s the breakdown:
Method 1: Ocean Monuments (The Classic Source)
This is the OG way. Ocean monuments (also called ocean temples or guardian temples) are massive underwater structures generated in Deep Ocean biomes. Inside these spooky pyramids, you'll find special rooms dedicated solely to sponges.
- Finding the Monument: Sail around Deep Ocean biomes looking for a large prismarine structure. You might get lucky and spot one. Dedicated explorers or cartographers might sell Ocean Explorer Maps leading you straight there. Elytra flight helps massively for scouting.
- The Sponge Rooms: Not every monument has one, but most do. They're usually easy to spot – look for rooms lined with wet sponge blocks covering the walls and ceiling. Some monuments even have multiple sponge rooms! I once found a monument with three rooms, netting me nearly 40 wet sponges. Best. Day. Ever.
- The Challenge: Monuments are guarded by Elder Guardians who inflict Mining Fatigue III. This makes breaking blocks (including sponges!) painfully slow. You NEED to defeat these bosses first. Bring:
- Milk buckets (to instantly remove Mining Fatigue)
- Potions of Water Breathing (essential!)
- Potions of Night Vision (helps visibility)
- A good sword (trident works underwater too)
- Armor (preferably with Aqua Affinity and Respiration enchantments)
- DOORS. Seriously. Placing doors underwater creates air pockets for breathing.
- Mining the Sponges: Once the Elders are down, you can mine the wet sponges. Any tool (or even your fist) works; speed isn't affected by tool type. Just be prepared for guardians to still spawn and attack you while you work.
Method 2: Trading with Master-Level Cartographers (Bedrock Edition Only)
Here's a difference between Java and Bedrock! If you're playing Minecraft Bedrock Edition, you have another option once you reach the later stages.
- Find a Cartographer Villager: These guys usually hang out near cartography tables in villages.
- Level Them Up: Trade paper, maps, compasses, etc., to raise their level. This takes time and resources.
- Master-Level Trade: When they reach the Master level (the white coat), they offer a trade for a dry sponge block. The cost is usually emeralds (anywhere from 3 to 6 in my experience), plus potentially another item like an iron ingot.
| Edition | Cartographer Trade Available? | Approximate Cost (Emeralds + Other) | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java Edition | No | N/A | Not an option |
| Bedrock Edition | Yes (Master Level) | 3-6 Emeralds + Sometimes Iron Ingot | Guaranteed trade once unlocked |
This is a safer, land-based method, but requires significant villager infrastructure setup. It's consistent once you get there, unlike monument RNG.
Method 3: Ocean Ruins (The Rare Gamble)
Okay, this one is... not reliable. Like, at all. But technically possible. Large underwater ocean ruins (the ones built from stone bricks, often looking like sunken buildings) have a tiny, tiny, tiny chance to generate a single dry sponge block inside one of their chests.
- Low Chance: Seriously low. We're talking maybe a 0.5% to 1% chance per chest in large ruins. You could search dozens and find nothing. I've only found one sponge this way in years of playing. Don't rely on it.
- Location: Large Ocean Ruins (Warm Ocean variants are common). Requires exploring, luck, and potentially defeating drowned guarding the area.
Consider this a potential bonus while exploring, not a primary strategy for obtaining sponge in Minecraft.
Wet vs. Dry: Converting Your Haul
Unless you got lucky with a cartographer trade or an ocean ruin chest, most sponges you find will be wet sponges straight out of the ocean monument. To reuse them, you need to dry them out.
Drying Methods Compared
| Method | How-To | Speed | Fuel Cost | Bonus | My Preference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace/Smoker/Blast Furnace | Place wet sponge in the top fuel slot, fuel (like coal) in the bottom. | ~10 seconds per sponge | 1 Coal = 8 Sponges; 1 Block of Coal = 80 Sponges | Small XP gain per sponge smelted (~0.35 XP) | Best for bulk drying. Use smokers for slightly faster speed if you have lots of fuel. |
| Nether | Place wet sponge blocks directly in the Nether dimension. | Almost Instantaneous | None! | None | Fastest method, perfect if drying a few at a time near your Nether portal. Watch out for Ghasts! |
The furnace method is dependable, especially if you have a good fuel source (dried kelp blocks are great for this). The Nether trick is crazy fast and fuel-free, perfect if you're portal-hopping anyway or just need one dried quickly. I always build my main sponge drying station right next to my Nether portal hub.
Sponge Farming? Not Really, But Here's the Reality
Can you farm sponges? Sadly, no. Sponges do not naturally regenerate in ocean monument sponge rooms. Once you mine them, they're gone from that monument forever. There's no way to plant them or make them multiply.
Pro Tip: Make your initial sponge haul count! Plan your drainage projects carefully. If you absolutely need more, you'll have to find another ocean monument (which can be rare) or rely on Bedrock cartographer trades.
Advanced Sponge Tactics & Uses
Okay, you've got your dry sponges. Now what?
- Placement Strategy: Dry sponges absorb water in a 7x7x7 area centered on themselves. Place them strategically to maximize coverage.
- Vertical Draining: Place sponges in a grid pattern vertically (e.g., every 6 blocks vertically and horizontally) to drain deep water columns efficiently.
- Wall Drainage: Place them along walls where water is flowing in.
- Wetting Efficiency: A dry sponge will absorb water until it turns wet. One sponge can absorb dozens of water source blocks before becoming saturated.
- Clearing Wet Sponges: After a sponge is wet, you need to mine it and dry it before using it again. Use a hoe – it mines them fastest! (Seriously, try it).
- Underwater Base Construction: Use sponges to clear sections where you want to place blocks or create airlocks. Place temporary blocks to prevent water flowing back in while you work.
- Mob Prevention: Water blocks prevent certain mobs (like Endermen) from spawning. Strategically placed dry sponges sucking up water can inadvertently create spawnable spaces. Be mindful!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Getting Sponges
Q: Can I craft sponges in Minecraft?
A: No. There is no crafting recipe for sponges. You must find them via ocean monuments, specific trades (Bedrock only), or rarely in ocean ruins.
Q: Do sponges regenerate in ocean monuments?
A: No. The sponges found in ocean monument sponge rooms are finite. Once you mine them, they do not grow back. That monument is depleted.
Q: What's the fastest way to dry a wet sponge?
A: Hands down, placing it in the Nether dimension. It dries almost instantly. Smelting in a furnace/smoker takes about 10 seconds per sponge but gives XP.
Q: Can I get sponges in Minecraft without fighting guardians?
A: Yes, but it's limited:
- Bedrock Edition: Master Cartographer trade avoids combat.
- Ocean Ruins: Extremely rare chest loot, no fighting required (unless drowned are there).
- Java Edition: Ocean monuments are the only reliable source, meaning you must fight the Elder Guardians to mine effectively. Sneaking in with Milk/Potions is possible but very difficult.
Q: How many sponges are usually in an ocean monument?
A: It varies. Most monuments have at least one sponge room with roughly 20-35 wet sponges. Some lucky finds yield monuments with two or even three sponge rooms, potentially giving 60+ sponges!
Q: What's the best tool for mining sponges?
A: Any tool works at the same speed. However, a Hoe actually mines sponges slightly faster than other tools in both Java and Bedrock editions. Plus, using a hoe for sponges preserves your sword/axe durability for fighting guardians!
Q: Can sponges remove flowing water or just source blocks?
A: Sponges primarily remove water source blocks within their absorption range. Removing the source blocks automatically removes the flowing water connected to them. However, they won't directly suck up flowing water that lacks a source block nearby.
Q: Why are the sponges I found already dry?
A: If you obtained sponges from a cartographer trade (Bedrock) or an ocean ruins chest, they are dry. Only sponges naturally generated in ocean monuments spawn as wet sponges.
Q: Are sponges affected by gravity?
A: No. Both wet and dry sponges are solid blocks that do not fall like sand or gravel.
Final Thoughts: Mastering the Sponge
Figuring out how to obtain sponge in Minecraft boils down to tackling ocean monuments. It's a challenge – gathering potions, fighting tough bosses, navigating underwater labyrinths – but the payoff is huge. Having a stack of sponges in your inventory feels like unlocking a superpower for water manipulation. Seriously, it changes how you approach underwater projects entirely.
While the Bedrock cartographer trade offers a safer alternative, it requires significant villager grinding. Finding them in ruins feels more like winning a lottery than a strategy.
The key is preparation for the monument raid. Don't underestimate the Elder Guardians and their Mining Fatigue. Bring milk, bring potions, bring doors, bring a good weapon. And once you get those precious wet sponges, dry them efficiently in the Nether or a furnace setup. Use them wisely, because they aren't renewable.
Knowing how to get sponge in Minecraft is essential knowledge for any player serious about conquering the oceans or mastering large-scale builds. Go get soggy! (And then get dry).
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