How to get sponges in Minecraft Java Edition

In Minecraft, sponges are one of the most useful blocks in the game. They can be used to remove water, which otherwise would be a terribly difficult task. Players embarking on a mission to renovate and take over an ocean monument would find it incredibly difficult without sponges.

While their usefulness rivals that of some of the most important blocks in the game, the frequency of sponges does not. They're quite rare and can be difficult to find.

Given their rarity and their usefulness, many crafters set out to find sponges and may be frustrated with how much of a challenge it is. The following is a short guide on how to get them in Java Edition.

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Obtaining Minecraft sponges in Java Edition

There are several key differences between Bedrock Edition and Java Edition. There are pros and cons to each version, which drives players to choose one over the other. Fortunately, sponges' spawn and collection methods remain the same across both versions.

In Minecraft, there is only one surefire way to get sponges by killing an Elder Guardian. Elder Guardians drop the following items when a player kills them:

• 0-2 prismarine shards
• 1 wet sponge (100% chance of dropping)
• Raw cod (50% chance)
• Random fish (2.5% chance)
• 10 XP orbs

That's a slow and painful way to get sponges, especially because the Elder Guardian is considered a boss and will be more challenging to kill than other mobs. Plus, it's underwater, which is another difficult aspect of it.

Fortunately, there is another way to get sponges and much more than one at a time. An ocean monument can have a sponge room. This is a small room with dark prismarine walls that can have a lot of sponges in it.

Sponge room (Image via Mojang)

According to Minecraft Wiki:

"Each of the 36 columns in the room has a 1⁄3 chance of being empty, a 1⁄2 chance of having one sponge, and a 1⁄6 chance of having two sponges."

On average, a sponge room has about 30 sponges so players can make out with a lot of them. The only challenge is finding them. Navigating an ocean monument is very difficult for most crafters.

Sponges can be mined with any tool or even the player's hand. They will always drop the item no matter what. Hoes are technically the preferred tool since they will mine sponges slightly faster.