i'm a proud father..

bluenassarius · 10/24/2006, 11:11 PM

my tunicate had babies

i had this tunicate since march. it took about 6 months to put out a bunch of babies. the babies have grown quite a bit also.

theres another one in the background. it looks like a heart. its transparent w/ really deep red tissue. i'm hoping it starts putting out babies.

kryppy · 10/25/2006, 06:24 AM

Congratulations. You must be the first person I have encountered
with any success. It seemed to be universally accepted that tunicates are doomed in an aquarium.
I was looking at an abundance of orange ones just like your first pic in 2 - 3 feet of water in the lower keys this weekend and wished I could add some to my tank, but was told they never ever make it.
They sure brighten up the mostly lifeless area containing algae and turbid water a lot.

bluenassarius · 10/25/2006, 08:32 AM

thank you. they are in my sump w/ low flow and lots of nutrients. i have a maxi stream to stir up the gunk down there when i turn off the return pump for a hour or so. i've never fed it any phyto at all.

where did you find the strawberry tunicate from? was it deep water or shallow? the onei have came as a hitchhiker on a zoanthid colony. i tried to take photos of the orange/brown version i have similar to yours but my camera couldn't focus to take any decent photo.

boomsticks · 10/25/2006, 09:05 AM

I have what they call a butter tunicate. Actually its more purple than the usual yellow color as well as a clear/blue baby tunicate I have never fed them and they are doing excellent. The butter tunicate has actually "shed" three times and has grown at least and inch or more since I aquired it. I think these are non-demanding animals and add nice color to the aquarium. I keep it in the main tank can't see it if it was in the sump....probably would do better in there though.

kryppy · 10/25/2006, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bluenassarius
thank you. they are in my sump w/ low flow and lots of nutrients. i have a maxi stream to stir up the gunk down there when i turn off the return pump for a hour or so. i've never fed it any phyto at all.

where did you find the strawberry tunicate from? was it deep water or shallow? the onei have came as a hitchhiker on a zoanthid colony. i tried to take photos of the orange/brown version i have similar to yours but my camera couldn't focus to take any decent photo.

I got them from a diver who collects mostly ricordia. He didn't remember where they came from, but I suspect it was probably
10 - 20 feet in the same nasty turbid areas the rics come from.
They must be rare in the keys since no one I have talked to has ever seen them.

bluenassarius · 10/25/2006, 09:47 PM

kryppy PM me, i might know that diver also.

10/24/2006, 11:11 PM	#1
bluenassarius retired algae slanger Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sac ra men to! Posts: 4,843	i'm a proud father.. my tunicate had babies i had this tunicate since march. it took about 6 months to put out a bunch of babies. the babies have grown quite a bit also. theres another one in the background. it looks like a heart. its transparent w/ really deep red tissue. i'm hoping it starts putting out babies. __________________ half man / half algae ... true story Current Tank Info: tankless, on hiatus until further notice

10/25/2006, 08:32 AM	#3
bluenassarius retired algae slanger Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sac ra men to! Posts: 4,843	thank you. they are in my sump w/ low flow and lots of nutrients. i have a maxi stream to stir up the gunk down there when i turn off the return pump for a hour or so. i've never fed it any phyto at all. where did you find the strawberry tunicate from? was it deep water or shallow? the onei have came as a hitchhiker on a zoanthid colony. i tried to take photos of the orange/brown version i have similar to yours but my camera couldn't focus to take any decent photo. __________________ half man / half algae ... true story Current Tank Info: tankless, on hiatus until further notice

10/25/2006, 09:05 AM	#4
boomsticks Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Good ol NH Posts: 547	I have what they call a butter tunicate. Actually its more purple than the usual yellow color as well as a clear/blue baby tunicate I have never fed them and they are doing excellent. The butter tunicate has actually "shed" three times and has grown at least and inch or more since I aquired it. I think these are non-demanding animals and add nice color to the aquarium. I keep it in the main tank can't see it if it was in the sump....probably would do better in there though. __________________ Don't take life too seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway. Current Tank Info: 55 gal reef, 24 cube

10/25/2006, 09:47 PM	#6
bluenassarius retired algae slanger Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sac ra men to! Posts: 4,843	kryppy PM me, i might know that diver also. __________________ half man / half algae ... true story Current Tank Info: tankless, on hiatus until further notice

10/25/2006, 06:24 AM	#2
kryppy Moved Down Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 845	Congratulations. You must be the first person I have encountered with any success. It seemed to be universally accepted that tunicates are doomed in an aquarium. I was looking at an abundance of orange ones just like your first pic in 2 - 3 feet of water in the lower keys this weekend and wished I could add some to my tank, but was told they never ever make it. They sure brighten up the mostly lifeless area containing algae and turbid water a lot.