Expert help needed zoas vs tunicates?

[BenjaminS]

I have really weird tunicates starting to grow on my zoa rocks. I wanted to know if these will cause any trouble because the tank is starting to get very populated with them! For whatever reason my tank is making them flourish and breeding in my tank!

 

[Sassy Jenny]

Weird, but kind of pretty. Wish I knew what it is.

 

[BenjaminS]

They are actually pretty nice I have quite a few different kinds in my tank lol. I think they spawned in my fragtank as bare rocks now have them. I hear they are great for filtration but I am unsure of their nature and also unsure of their predatory status.

 

[Mike J.]

Those are very cool! Tunicates are a very good thing. They filter your water - a lot like sponges do. Do you see them releasing eggs into the water column all the time? There's obviously a lot of food for them. They will control themselves because of the availability of phytoplankton to feed them. I'd say just enjoy the show.

 

[BenjaminS]

about a few weeks before I started seeing them I saw little green dots in the water column. Now they are starting to appear everywhere! lol I don't really have much in that tank aside from zoas. They are forming colonies on empty rocks. The water in my frag tank is intentionally dirty because I keep zoas. How long do they live for? Should I start propagating them? I was thinking of passing them around to locals lol

 

[Mike J.]

They will survive as long as there's planktonic food to sustain them. Hopefully, you'll keep them for a long time. Also, it is my opinion that the eggs/sperm that they are releasing all the time if good food for your corals. Yes, they don't need two to reproduce; they have both sets of organs. Those are the coolest ones I've seen.

 

[BenjaminS]

Do you want a colony? lol I'll send you some if you pay shipping. free

 

[Mike J.]

Actually, they are very fragile. Probably wouldn't survive fragging or shipping. You most likely got them by eggs/sperm. Google it on Wiki - they are actually a highly advanced species.

 

[BenjaminS]

Ascidian: Ciona intestinalis Are these it?

 

[BenjaminS]

Possibly these! Ascidian species Seeing as how they are from solomon

 

[BenjaminS]

Clavelina I've narrowed it down to clavelina
http://www.ascidians.com/families/polycitoridae/Clavelina_orange/clavelinamorphorange.htm

 

[BenjaminS]

Lol there is practically zero info on these guys Anyone want to chime in to help with caretaking and anything you know about them lol

Here is something similar!

http://www.seascapestudio.net/reference/invertebrate.php?id=101

 

[Mike J.]

I'd say you've identified them correctly as Clavelina. They filter the water for plankton. Some tanks just grow things while others won't. You're obvious doing something right that they really like. I would think if someone were to get them from you and put them in their tank they'd need to feed them green water. There care is almost identical to that of sponges, but are much more highly advanced than sponges.

 

[BenjaminS]

I'm reading up on them! They have larva that resemble fish?! So many different kinds of clavelina and tunicates its so overwhelming lol

I'd say you've identified them correctly as Clavelina. They filter the water for plankton. Some tanks just grow things while others won't. You're obvious doing something right that they really like. I would think if someone were to get them from you and put them in their tank they'd need to feed them green water. There care is almost identical to that of sponges, but are much more highly advanced than sponges.

 

[Bryant]

Wow that's so cool Ben

 

[isnyc300]

thats pretty cool