Keeping Sea Squirts

[NCF]

Anyone has any experience keeping this? I have tried 3 and they all do ok for 1-2 month until they shrink, and die [img]/ubb/spineyes.gif[/img]...

[SomeHairyOldGuy]

I had one on some aqua culture rock and it also died in about 6 months. It was real neat it was orange with some blueish stripes. Not sure why it died???
SHOG

[Bamm Bamm]

Anyone got any links or pics of them??

[naser]

im curious as to what these are???

[srgtkoons]

sea squirts are tunicates. I believe most of them die because they are heavy filter feeders and most of our tanks are poor in the amount of plankton available.

------------------
I have the mind of a 5 year old and own a fire extinquisher you cant imagine the things i do.

[NCF]

I have several in the live rock.. They are transparent and small. You probably have some too. They are like little tubelike sponges with two holes at the top that part away in sort of a Y. One gets the water in... the other gets the water out. If t is big enough you can see it closing one hole, and inflating. Then it will close the other hole, and open the closed one, and push the water out.. Way cool. Some are big, with nice colors: bright blue/purple with yellow or orange highlights, or pinkish transparent which you can see the interior through (These are the ones you have to pay for). Many look awesome. As it's been said, they are heavy filter feeders. There are others that blend with the rock, and it might be in your face, and you still don't see it. I have one that is purplish balck, and if it was not because hes been growing (1cm long so far) and he moves a lot I would have never seen it. There are others that look like rocks. In my LFS I've seen some that even have barnacles, and algae growing on them, and I used to think they where rocks until I saw one move.. it was 4" round like.. Huge. I got one from FFE that is orange with blue streaks... and he moves so much.. it is very nice. Once Bob Goemans said to use Black Powder, and the person who asked replyed some days later that the Sea Squirt was doing better. I've been using the Black powder, and I've seen some stuf come out of the rocks but I'm a newbie, and I would not know if this is normal, or if the balck powder is really working. I really don't think it is working at all since my sea squirt is every time worst. I might try Live Phytoplankton and see how they do that way. As I said.. [img]/ubb/spineyes.gif[/img]

[NCF]

None has at least tried Live Phytoplankton?....

[Baywatch Babe]

Originally posted by Bamm Bamm:
Anyone got any links or pics of them??

http://www.divegallery.com/tunicate.htm http://www.treasurecovedivers.com/tunicate.html

[*]Sea Squirs - Ronald Shimek[*]Tunicates with Salad On The Side - Richard L. Howey[*]Introduction to the Urochordata

[img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img]




[This message has been edited by Baywatch Babe (edited 03-01-2001).]

[waterboy]

I had some attached to the wall of my filter. They were small - about half the size of the tip of your pinky and tan colored.

[tubs]

OK Guys/Gals,

Here's the lowdown from the man Steve Tyree of Dynamic Ecomorphology:
http://www.dynamicecomorphology.com

Click on the button "Environmental Gradient" which is Steve's natural filtration system consisting of sponges and squirts. You may have to buy the book though.

------------------
John Susbilla
Visit my "Flashy" new site: John's Reef Flat
Alternate site Here
tubs@firstworld.net