Sponge


| Renewable |
No |
|---|---|
| Stackable |
Yes (64) |
| Tool | |
| Blast resistance |
0.6 |
| Hardness |
0.6 |
| Luminous |
No |
| Transparent |
No |
| Flammable |
No |
| Catches fire from lava |
No |
| Map color (JE) |
|
{
"title": "Sponge",
"rows": [
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
},
{
"field": "Yes (64)",
"label": "Stackable"
},
{
"field": "<span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"height:32px;width:32px;--vertical-align:middle\">(link to File:SlotSprite Hoe Required.png article, displayed as 32x32px|link=Hoe|alt=|class=pixel-image|This block can be broken with any tool, but a hoe is the quickest)</span>",
"label": "Tool"
},
{
"field": "0.6",
"label": "(link to Explosion#Blast resistance article, displayed as Blast resistance)"
},
{
"field": "0.6",
"label": "(link to Breaking#Blocks by hardness article, displayed as Hardness)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Light article, displayed as Luminous)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Opacity article, displayed as Transparent)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Flammable article, displayed as Flammable)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "Catches fire<br>from (link to lava article, displayed as lava)"
},
{
"field": "<span style=\"display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: rgb(229, 229, 51); border: 1px solid #888; border-radius: 0.3em; width: 1em; height: 1em; vertical-align: -0.36em; margin-right: -0.1em\"><br></span> 18 COLOR_YELLOW</span>",
"label": "(link to Map color article, displayed as Map color) <small>((link to Java Edition article, displayed as ''JE''))</small>"
}
],
"invimages": [
"Sponge",
"Wet Sponge"
],
"images": [
"Sponge JE3 BE3.png",
"Wet Sponge JE2 BE2.png"
]
}
A sponge is a block that can be placed to remove water in an area around itself. This turns it into a wet sponge, which can be smelted or placed in the Nether to dry it to be reused. Sponges can only be found in ocean monuments.
Obtaining
Breaking
Either type of sponge can be mined by hand, or with any tool, dropping itself as an item; however, hoes break sponges the fastest compared to other tools.
| Block | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 0.6 | |
| Tool | ||
| Breaking time (sec)[A] | ||
| Default | 0.9 | |
| 0.45 | ||
| 0.25 | ||
|
0.2 | |
| 0.15 | ||
| 0.15 | ||
| 0.1 | ||
| 0.1 | ||
- incorrect tool, drops nothing
- correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
- correct tool, drops the block itself
- italicized can be instant mined
- ↑ These durations ignore other influential factors (e.g. Mining Fatigue), and are measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.
Natural generation
Ocean monuments can have "sponge rooms". Each room contains an average of 30 wet sponges. See Ocean Monument/Structure for details.
Mob loot
Elder guardians
| Mob | Quantity / Chance / Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||||||||||
| Elder Guardian[A] | 1 | 100.00% | 1.00 | 1 | 100.00% | 1.00 | 1 | 100.00% | 1.00 | 1 | 100.00% | 1.00 | |
| Mob | Quantity / Chance / Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||||||||||
| Elder Guardian[A] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Mob | Amount | Probability | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | |||
| Elder Guardian[A] | 1 | 1 (100.00%) | 1 (100.00%) | 1 (100.00%) | 1 (100.00%) | |
| Average | 1 (1.00) | 1 (1.00) | 1 (1.00) | 1 (1.00) | ||
| Drops | 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mob | Expected Number of Kill | ||||
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||
| Elder Guardian[A] | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
| Mob | Quantity / Chance / Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||||||||||
| Elder Guardian[A] | 1 | 100.00% | 1.00 | 1 | 100.00% | 1.00 | 1 | 100.00% | 1.00 | 1 | 100.00% | 1.00 | |
| Mob | Quantity / Chance / Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||||||||||
| Elder Guardian[A] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Mob | Amount | Probability | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | |||
| Elder Guardian[A] | 1 | 1 (100.00%) | 1 (100.00%) | 1 (100.00%) | 1 (100.00%) | |
| Average | 1 (1.00) | 1 (1.00) | 1 (1.00) | 1 (1.00) | ||
| Drops | 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mob | Expected Number of Kill | ||||
| Default | Looting I | Looting II | Looting III | ||
| Elder Guardian[A] | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | |
Smelting
A wet sponge can be dried in a furnace, making the sponge reusable.
| Ingredients | Smelting recipe | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wet sponge + any fuel | If a bucket is in the fuel slot at the time the sponge completes its drying, the water drains into the bucket, leaving a bucket of water in the fuel slot. Otherwise, the water just evaporates. |
Drying
A wet sponge placed in the Nether dries out instantly with a puff of steam and turns into a normal sponge.
In Bedrock Edition, a wet sponge placed in any dry biome in the Overworld dries out after a few minutes and turns into a normal sponge.
In Bedrock Edition, if a normal sponge comes into contact with water in a dry biome, it absorbs the water and immediately dries out with a puff of steam.
Usage

A sponge can be used to turn water into air by "absorbing" the water. A sponge instantly absorbs nearby water when it is placed next to water or when water comes into contact with it. Sponges immediately turn wet upon absorption and do not absorb any more water afterward. Wet sponges drip small water particles. Sponges in item form do not absorb water or become wet.
A sponge absorbs both flowing and source blocks of water up to 7 blocks away (taken as a taxicab distance) in all six directions around itself. Instead of a cube or a sphere, this effectively encloses the volume of an octahedron with vertices placed 7 units away from the center in each direction due to the game's extensive use of taxicab distance. A sponge does not absorb more than 118 blocks of water however, and water closest to the sponge is absorbed first. The absorption propagates only between adjacent water blocks and does not "jump over" non-water blocks, including air.
Sounds
Generic
Sponge
sponge sound type | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | block | subtitles | 0.2 | 0.5 | 16 | |
| Something falls on a block | Entity-Dependent | Falling on the block with fall damage | block | subtitles | 0.5 | 0.75 | 16 | |
| Footsteps | Entity-Dependent | Walking on the block | block | subtitles | 0.15 | 1.0 | 16 | |
sponge sound type | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Source | Description | Resource location | Volume | Pitch |
| Blocks | Once the block has broken | break | 0.7 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | When the block is placed | place | 0.8 | 0.8-1.0 | |
| Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | hit | 0.3 | 0.5 | |
| Players | Falling on the block with fall damage | fall | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Walking on the block | step | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
Wet sponge
wet_sponge sound type | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | 16 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | block | subtitles | 0.25 | 0.5 | 16 | |
| Something falls on a block | Entity-Dependent | Falling on the block with fall damage | block | subtitles | 0.5 | 0.75 | 16 | |
| Footsteps | Entity-Dependent | Walking on the block | block | subtitles | 0.15 | 1.0 | 16 | |
wet_sponge sound type | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Source | Description | Resource location | Volume | Pitch |
| Blocks | Once the block has broken | break | 1.0 | 0.8 | |
| Blocks | When the block is placed | place | 1.0 | 0.8 | |
| Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | hit | 0.3 | 0.5 | |
| Players | Falling on the block with fall damage | step | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| Players | Walking on the block | step | 0.2 | 1.0 | |
| Blocks | Jumping from the block | step | 0.12 | 1.1 | |
| Blocks | Falling on the block without fall damage | step | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
Unique
| Sounds | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Subtitles | Source | Description | Resource location | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
| Sponge dries | Blocks | When a wet sponge is dried in the Nether | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.7-0.84 | 16 | |
| Sponge sucks | Blocks | When a sponge sucks up water | block | subtitles | 0.8 | 1.0 | 16 | |
| Sounds | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Source | Description | Resource location | Volume | Pitch |
| Blocks | When a wet sponge is dried in the Nether or dry biome | random | 1.0 | 0.6-0.8 | |
| Blocks | When a sponge sucks up water | dig | 1.0 | 0.8-1.0 | |
Data values
ID
| Name | Identifier | Form | Block tags | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
sponge | Block & Item | mineable/hoe | block | |
wet_sponge | Block & Item | mineable/hoe | block |
| Name | Identifier | Alias ID | Numeric ID | Form | Item ID[i 1] | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sponge | sponge / 0 | 19 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] | tile | |
wet_sponge | sponge / 1 | 1239 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -984) | tile |
Achievements
| Icon | Achievement | In-game description | Actual requirements (if different) | Gamerscore earned | Trophy type (PS) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS4 | Other | ||||||
| Dry Spell | Dry a in a furnace | — | 15 | Bronze | |||
History
| Java Edition Classic | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2009 | Sponge was suggested on the TIGSource forums. Notch later approved this suggestion. | ||||||
| June 16, 2009 | Sponges were tested by Notch. | ||||||
| 0.0.19a | |||||||
| The sponge is a temporary fix to stop water from flooding until finite water is implemented.[1] | |||||||
| Sponges soak up water in a 5×5×5 volume around it, and would decay. | |||||||
| 0.0.19a_01 | Sponges no longer decay. | ||||||
| Java Edition Indev | |||||||
| 0.31 | 20100201-2227 | Sponges now soak up infinite water sources and infinite lava sources. This is despite the fact that they do not delete normal lava. | |||||
| Java Edition Infdev | |||||||
| 20100227-1414 | Due to Notch reworking many parts of the game to allow for infinite terrain generation the whole liquid system from Indev including sponges becomes non-functional. A new system for liquids was added in a later version of Infdev, though sponges weren't touched as they were no longer necessary. | ||||||
| Java Edition Beta | |||||||
| 1.8 | Pre-release | Sponges have now become available in Creative mode. | |||||
| Java Edition | |||||||
| 1.2.1 | 12w07a | Prior to this version, sponges could be used in redstone builds for updating blocks, in conjunction with BUDs (block update detectors): if a sponge was placed and then removed, all blocks within a 7×7×7 range would be updated.[2] The cause of this was some remaining code for the sponge's water removing property. | |||||
| 1.8 | June 8, 2014 | ||||||
| 14w25a | |||||||
| Sponges have now become obtainable in Survival mode. | |||||||
| 14w25b | A wet sponge, when smelted, fills an empty bucket in the fuel slot with water. | ||||||
| 1.9 | 15w43a | Elder guardians now drop dry sponges instead of wet ones. | |||||
| 1.11 | 16w33a | Elder guardians now drop wet sponges on player kills, rather than dry sponges.[3] | |||||
| 1.14 | 18w43a | ||||||
| 1.15 | 19w36a | Wet Sponges now dry out when placed in the Nether. | |||||
| 1.16 | 20w12a | Sponges and wet sponges can now be broken faster using hoes. | |||||
| 1.20.2 | 23w33a | Added unique sounds for dry and wet sponges, and sponges absorbing water. | |||||
| 1.20.5 | 24w09a | Added sound event block.wet_sponge.dries, replacing block.fire.extinguish when a wet sponge dries out in the Nether.[4] | |||||
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||||
| October 15, 2013 | Johan Bernhardsson announces sponges for 0.8.0 on Twitter. | ||||||
| v0.8.0 | build 1 | ||||||
| Sponges are currently purely decorative and only available in Creative mode. | |||||||
| v0.16.0 | build 1 | ||||||
| Sponges have now become obtainable in Survival mode. | |||||||
| A wet sponge, when smelted, fills an empty bucket in the fuel slot with water. | |||||||
| Unknown | |||||||
| ? | Sponges dry out in hot biomes. | ||||||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
| 1.2.13 | beta 1.2.13.8 | Added drowned, which rarely drop sponges. | |||||
| 1.4.0 | beta 1.2.20.1 | Drowned no longer drop sponge. | |||||
| 1.6.0 | beta 1.6.0.5 | Elder guardians now drop wet sponges rather than dry. | |||||
| 1.10.0 | beta 1.10.0.3 | Sponges now immediately dry out when placed in the Nether. | |||||
| 1.16.0 | beta 1.16.0.57 | Sponges and wet sponges can now be broken faster using hoes. | |||||
| 1.20.30 | Preview 1.20.20.22 | Sponges no longer make a sound when absorbing water[5] | |||||
| 1.21.50 | Preview 1.21.50.20 | Sponges and wet sponges now make the same sounds as Java Edition[6] | |||||
| Sponges now make a sound when absorbing water again[7] | |||||||
| Legacy Console Edition | |||||||
| Xbox 360 | Xbox One | PS3 | PS4 | PS Vita | Wii U | Switch | |
| TU1 | CU1 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | Patch 1 | 1.0.1 | |
| Sponges are currently unobtainable. | |||||||
| TU5 | Sponges have now become available in Creative mode. | ||||||
| TU28 | CU16 | 1.23 | 1.19 | 1.19 | |||
| TU31 | CU19 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | Patch 3 | Sponges are now obtainable in Survival mode. | |
| Sponges have been removed from the custom superflat block selection menu. | |||||||
| TU43 | CU33 | 1.36 | 1.36 | 1.36 | Patch 13 | Elder guardians now drop dry sponges instead of wet ones. | |
| TU54 | CU44 | 1.52 | 1.52 | 1.52 | Patch 24 | 1.0.4 | Elder guardians now drop wet sponges again. |
| TU56 | CU48 | 1.55 | 1.55 | 1.55 | Patch 26 | 1.0.6 | Elder guardians now drop dry sponges again. |
| TU69 | 1.76 | 1.76 | 1.76 | Patch 38 | Elder guardians now drop wet sponges again. | ||
| 1.90 | |||||||
| Sponges now dry out when placed in the Nether and warm biomes after some time. | |||||||
| New Nintendo 3DS Edition | |||||||
| 0.1.0 | |||||||
| 1.3.12 | |||||||
| Sponges have now become obtainable in Survival mode. | |||||||
| Sponges now soak up contiguous water source blocks out to a taxicab distance of 7 when placed, thereupon turning into the new wet sponge. | |||||||
| A wet sponge, when smelted, fills an empty bucket in the fuel slot with water. | |||||||
| ? | Moved sponge from the Decorations tab to the Building Blocks tab in the Creative inventory. | ||||||
Data history
| Java Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 | 14w06a | Sponges now use the newly-implemented model json file models/block/cube.json; previously the geometry was defined in the game code itself. | |||||
| 1.13 | 17w47a | The two different wet block states for the sponge ID have been split up into their own IDs.
| |||||
| Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 19. | |||||||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
| 1.21.30 | Preview 1.21.30.22 | The different block states for the sponge ID have been split up into their own IDs. | |||||
Issues
Issues relating to "Sponge" or "Wet Sponge" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.
Gallery
Screenshots
-
An example of sponges keeping an area dry in Java Edition Classic. -
Hidden sponge in the corner of a wood-paneled room, in Java Edition Classic. -
Sponges in the Creative inventory in the Adventure Update. -
A sponge next to a wet sponge. -
The old sponge and gravel textures. -
First picture of sponge in the test version of 0.0.18a_02. -
Sponges drying in Bedrock Edition. -
Image of sponges from Jeb's instagram.
References
- ↑ "Sponges won’t vanish randomly now, and glass looks better." – The Word of Notch, Jun 20th, 2009
- ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=nZK2glVsIa8
- ↑ MC-92294 — Elder Guardians drop normal sponge instead of wet sponge — resolved as "Fixed".
- ↑ MC-98316 — Wrong subtitles caused by missing distinction
- ↑ MCPE-173582
- ↑ MCPE-174345 — resolved as "Fixed".
- ↑ MCPE-173582 — resolved as "Fixed".
External links
- Block of the Week: Sponge – Minecraft.net on March 24, 2017