Sea Squirt

[tebstan]

I ordered a sea squirt.

Some are hardy, some are delicate. Some have the potential to give off toxins when stressed, and some have a very short natural lifespan. I knew this when I ordered it, but I assumed I would be able to tell a live one from a dead one.

It arrived bagged like a fish. Not good--it should be bagged like a sponge. Some sources say exposure to air kills it, some sources say it can cause the tissue to degenerate, and still other sources make no mention of the air exposure issue.

It doesn't look at all like I expected. I thought I was getting a plump little orange tunicate; another cute little oddball to add to my other filter feeders. Instead, what I got looks like a wrinkled piece of poop. Is it degenerating, or is it supposed to look like that?

I'm going out of town for a few days, and I hate to leave it in the tank while I'm away if it will die and cause problems. But I can't just take it out to die if its not on its way out anyway.

I expected something like this:
http://www.elasmodiver.com/BCMarinelife/images/Shiny-orange-sea-squirt.jpg

Instead, I got this:
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss9/TebstansTank/Sponges/SeaSquirt10-1-10.jpg


It is alive. Or at least it was last night, I saw the siphons moving. What do you think? Leave it in, or take it out?

[Kristy]

How disappointing! :( When do you have to decide whether to leave it in or take it out? Maybe it will start to show signs of improvement or decline to make your decision easier.

[tebstan]

I'll be at LMAR all day tomorrow, and leaving for the coast early Sunday morning. I'll be back late Monday. I won't be gone a real long time, but Murphy's law, ya know.

[Mr Cob]

It arrived bagged like a fish. Not good--it should be bagged like a sponge. Some sources say exposure to air kills it, some sources say it can cause the tissue to degenerate, and still other sources make no mention of the air exposure issue.

It doesn't look at all like I expected. I thought I was getting a plump little orange tunicate; another cute little oddball to add to my other filter feeders. Instead, what I got looks like a wrinkled piece of poop.

Orange: That's what it looks as though happened to your little poop friend..it may make a comeback though
Brown: That made me laugh out loud...not an "LOL" but a "spit your coffee out laugh"! LMBO!!!!

[Europhyllia]

Poor little guy looks deflated doesn't he? I'd give it time. Obviously the safest thing might be putting it in a quarantine tank. If the siphons are still working I'd give it a chance :)
From what I've been reading the bigger they are the less likely they are to starve even in a heavily fed tank simply because their capacity to pumps stuff through is so enormous so the smaller ones offer a better chance.

[tebstan]

Is 3 inches considered big or small?
I do feed pretty heavily for the other filter feeders and NPS.

[Europhyllia]

Coral Magazine had a great article on sea squirts not too long ago. Maybe you can find it on their website.