What is this stuff?

ReefWhatYouSow · 01/02/2015, 02:00 PM

Can anyone tell me what some of this stuff is?

My brother-in-law and I were cleaning up his dock in Clearwater and I pulled this up when bringing in a rope. There was a plethora of life on it and in it.... Which I might have killed by pulling it out : /

I'll try to post the video with pictures. A couple times water squirted from different areas, but take a look and give me your thoughts!

Sk8r · 01/02/2015, 02:05 PM

Encrusting sponge, maybe a gorgonian, maybe sea squirts.

kfisc · 01/02/2015, 03:25 PM

Maybe some anemones (last still photos)? It's always stunning to see the diversity and crowding of life in even small areas in the wild. Very cool.

ReefWhatYouSow · 01/02/2015, 04:06 PM

I definitely find it to be cool. I would have never expected to see any of this stuff on the rope. I expected barnacles and crabs lol...

Do you think I could put any of this in the tank

ReefWhatYouSow · 01/02/2015, 04:07 PM

210 gal

quagmire · 01/02/2015, 04:52 PM

First and third pics are colonial tunicates.
Forth pic looks like a gorgonian
Last pic looks like another type of tunicate (aka sea squirt)
There's also some barnacles mixed in

ReefWhatYouSow · 01/03/2015, 12:55 PM

Can any of this be put into the tank?

quagmire · 01/03/2015, 03:10 PM

All of them can grow in captivity but you might what to check your local collecting laws before you harvest them.
Those colonial tunicates can grow out of control like green star polyps. Best to mount them on their own rock/substrate, kept away from your main aquascape. I've seen them grow on overflows and into drain pipes and restrict flow. The large squirts and the gorgs are much more manageable.

ReefWhatYouSow · 01/03/2015, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quagmire

All of them can grow in captivity but you might what to check your local collecting laws before you harvest them.

Those colonial tunicates can grow out of control like green star polyps. Best to mount them on their own rock/substrate, kept away from your main aquascape. I've seen them grow on overflows and into drain pipes and restrict flow. The large squirts and the gorgs are much more manageable.

Thanks for informing me on them. It's funny, cause I think the colonial tunicates are the coolest looking of the bunch lol...

FraggledRock · 01/03/2015, 05:40 PM

Baby chtulu lol

Chocohunter · 01/03/2015, 07:15 PM

Yay, finally a chance to be of assistance!

As a marine biologist from NC you are looking at encrusting life on floating docks. First picture is a tunicate I'm unfamiliar with maybe colorwheel tunicate? Other pictures are rough sea squirt, sea whip, and a royal tunicate. Both the squirt and tunicate VERY different than anything you'll find in a hobbyist reef system. DO NOT put them in your system unless you wanna crash it.

These animals don't utilize sunlight for nutrition, instead require a very specific diet and flow that is difficult to replicate in a system. Along with that sea whips have been kept in activity, but also are very difficult and require a specific diet due to their polyp size. The only successful systems I've seen have low light, and a constant dosing of different microorganisms.

If you want to make a system to hold animals like this I'd love to see how it goes, but it isn't an easy one to pull off.

90gallonsalt · 01/03/2015, 08:28 PM

Sort of new to the hobby, could someone please tell me what this is? I bought some live rock from someone and there is a lot of these sprouting up. It looks like some type of leather coral, but I just want to make sure it will not eventually take over my whole tank. Thanks so much! [IMG][IMG]http://i59.*******.com/2h3yels.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]

01/02/2015, 02:00 PM	#1
ReefWhatYouSow Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 1,193	What is this stuff? Can anyone tell me what some of this stuff is? My brother-in-law and I were cleaning up his dock in Clearwater and I pulled this up when bringing in a rope. There was a plethora of life on it and in it.... Which I might have killed by pulling it out : / I'll try to post the video with pictures. A couple times water squirted from different areas, but take a look and give me your thoughts!

01/02/2015, 02:05 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Encrusting sponge, maybe a gorgonian, maybe sea squirts. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/03/2015, 05:40 PM	#10
FraggledRock Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: New York, New York Posts: 2,185	Baby chtulu lol __________________ “For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.”― Jacques-Yves Cousteau MarineBio.org Current Tank Info: 40 Gallon Breeder w/ Bean Animal Overflow 20G Sump, Mixed Reef.

01/02/2015, 03:25 PM	#3
kfisc Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,020	Maybe some anemones (last still photos)? It's always stunning to see the diversity and crowding of life in even small areas in the wild. Very cool.

01/02/2015, 04:06 PM	#4
ReefWhatYouSow Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 1,193	I definitely find it to be cool. I would have never expected to see any of this stuff on the rope. I expected barnacles and crabs lol... Do you think I could put any of this in the tank

01/02/2015, 04:07 PM	#5
ReefWhatYouSow Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 1,193	210 gal

01/02/2015, 04:52 PM	#6
quagmire Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,231	First and third pics are colonial tunicates. Forth pic looks like a gorgonian Last pic looks like another type of tunicate (aka sea squirt) There's also some barnacles mixed in

01/03/2015, 12:55 PM	#7
ReefWhatYouSow Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 1,193	Can any of this be put into the tank?

01/03/2015, 03:10 PM	#8
quagmire Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,231	All of them can grow in captivity but you might what to check your local collecting laws before you harvest them. Those colonial tunicates can grow out of control like green star polyps. Best to mount them on their own rock/substrate, kept away from your main aquascape. I've seen them grow on overflows and into drain pipes and restrict flow. The large squirts and the gorgs are much more manageable.

01/03/2015, 07:15 PM	#11
Chocohunter Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: NC Coast Posts: 12	Yay, finally a chance to be of assistance! As a marine biologist from NC you are looking at encrusting life on floating docks. First picture is a tunicate I'm unfamiliar with maybe colorwheel tunicate? Other pictures are rough sea squirt, sea whip, and a royal tunicate. Both the squirt and tunicate VERY different than anything you'll find in a hobbyist reef system. DO NOT put them in your system unless you wanna crash it. These animals don't utilize sunlight for nutrition, instead require a very specific diet and flow that is difficult to replicate in a system. Along with that sea whips have been kept in activity, but also are very difficult and require a specific diet due to their polyp size. The only successful systems I've seen have low light, and a constant dosing of different microorganisms. If you want to make a system to hold animals like this I'd love to see how it goes, but it isn't an easy one to pull off.

01/03/2015, 08:28 PM	#12
90gallonsalt Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 6	Sort of new to the hobby, could someone please tell me what this is? I bought some live rock from someone and there is a lot of these sprouting up. It looks like some type of leather coral, but I just want to make sure it will not eventually take over my whole tank. Thanks so much! [IMG][IMG]http://i59.*******.com/2h3yels.jpg[/IMG][/IMG]