what exactly is this?

[dustin_P74]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?c=2733+4&ddid=42047
i mean i know the name of it because of the title but what exactly is it and what is its purpose

 

[reeffreak]

Lets see,its a tunicate,a filter feeder that needs a nutrient rich environment.Exactly the opposite on what most of us want to achieve.I suppose,a person with poor lighting and have alot of non-photosynthetic corals might be interested in this.

 

[dustin_P74]

so that will be sitting in there tank for a while

 

[NewbReefer]

All SW fish aquariums are "nutrient rich" compared to the ocean so because it says a "nutrient rich aquarium" do they mean even more nutrient rich than what we are able to keep our aquariums clean at?

 

[reeffreak]

Tunicates are really difficult to keep alive.IMO,tunicates,carnation coral,chili coral,coco worms,christmas tree worms and anything else that get a constant/heavy supply of nutrient from the ocean can't easily be replicated at home.

When we think of ''nutrient rich'' in the home aquaria,we assume high nitrates and the dissolved organics that lead to it.When I think of ''high nutrient'' in the ocean,its a constant supply of organics,plankton,,pods and the current that brings the food to them.I'm willing to bet even scientist are unsure on what microfoods these animals actually feed on.

 

[kyle]

i got three of these things on a rock i bought with zoo's on it

 

[Bifferwine]

Tunicates are really difficult to keep alive.IMO,tunicates,carnation coral,chili coral,coco worms,christmas tree worms and anything else that get a constant/heavy supply of nutrient from the ocean can't easily be replicated at home.

Hahaha, I have a huge yellow tunicate that's only thrived in my tank! Go figure. It's larger than a golf ball and it's really cool to look at.

 

[reeffreak]

Let's see a pic of it Biff.

Okay,very few can replicate their needs.So,your saying you have a nutrient rich environment,right?

 

[Bifferwine]

Went to take a pic of it, and found a second one (about the same size, and the same type) on the underside of the rock. Pics coming right up.

And I would probably venture to say that my tank is more nutrient rich than it should be, although my SPS seems to do just fine...

 

[Bifferwine]

Here they are, Tunicate #1 and Tunicate #2. Pretty cool, huh?

 

[dustin_P74]

so what exactly is their purpose if there is one

 

[Bifferwine]

What is the purpose of any of the corals/inverts we have in our tanks? To look pretty and/or cool.

 

[dustin_P74]

oh, i didnt know if they served a purpose like a clean up crew does or a purpose like live rock.

 

[simpleman]

Cool critters Biff!

 

[ladypheesh]

nice camera skills Biff!

 

[Bifferwine]

nice camera skills Biff!

I cheated. I took the rock out of the water for those pics :).

 

[fatman]

There have actually been reef tank systems set up by researchers where large numbers of tunicates and sponges were used for nutrient removal purposes as would be macro algae. They performed worse than macro algae, yet put on more mass than the macro algae, leading researchers to reappraise the food utilized by them. It appears (but unproven) that they do feed more on phytoplankton and very small zoo planktons (nutrients) then the dissolved organic nutrients as were assumed to be utilized more. Leave it to researchers, if it doesn't work out as they originally speculated (hypothesized), they just come up with another speculation (hypothesis) for a result of their research and do not even try to prove or disapprove the new one.
Yeah, like Reeffreak said.