Chasmodes
Well-known member
Thank you Michael!
I've been using my iPhone 7 Plus camera, sometimes with a tripod and sometimes without, depending on the critter to photograph.
If my ID is correct about the tube anemone, then they don't get very big about 2" max length and only about 3/4" diameter of the tentacles. They're basically white too. Also, most of the time they burrow in the sand. So, my hunch is that is why you wouldn't see them in your LFS, too small and not colorful. The issue with native critters in our area is also the bland colors, not popular at your LFS. Heck, they even dye fish in glow colors now and sell the you know what out of them. But, back to the tube anemone, the one attractive thing to reefers for them would be that they like to burrow in sand beds, maybe could be considered part of a clean up crew or something?
I doubt the jellyfish would survive in my tank to adulthood, simply because I'm using a HOB filter and a powerhead. Even in my big tank, they may survive in the sump, but the pump and also my gyre would probably kill them. I suspect that they'll survive at the cellular level through to the ephyra (larval medusa) stage, but after that...squish. Perhaps those torn up stay alive and become polyps? I still have no idea how they got in there. So, during the life cycle of the moon jelly, they basically spawn as adults, and after gamete fertilization, something called planula (a larva) forms and settles on some sort of substrate. It then morphs into a polyp that pretty much looks just like a mini anemone. I've seen them attached to my shells, and then grow into the polyp, and that process seems to take a couple weeks. Then, after a few more weeks, they change to the budding polyp, which reminds me of a stack of paper cupcake holders. I think that at that point, polyps start breaking away as a larval form of medusa called an ephyra. I've seen as many as eight ephyra stacked on to one polyp, and then after about a week it's down to one or two, and then just a nub of a base, so I guess another two weeks for a total of 6 weeks or so? These are my estimates, it may take a little longer. Until yesterday, I thought that I had anemones and the budding polyps looked different enough that I thought that they were a different species! Last night, the light bulb went off, especially when some of the "anemones" seemed to disappear. In my mind, I thought that they just moved like anemones often do, but nope, they turned into budding polyps and well, budded off. LOL. I have seen a couple of the ephyra floating/swimming in my tank current, but not often, and have yet to see one turn into a medusa. I suspect that might change in my sump refugium when that time comes, if I let it happen. I plan to donate the oyster shell with the most cniderian life on it to our local public aquarium jellyfish tank this weekend.
It was creepy seeing that worm come out, and then another one, and then another one, etc. But, after watching them around the shrimp, my guess is that they don't pose a thread to anything in my tank. That might be different if my blennies breed, because fish fry seem to always be food for just about anything. We will see when that day comes.
I am just thankful that none of my fish have died in QT. I've been good with my water changes and keeping the copper levels at the right therapeutic level, at least the fish seem to be telling me that based on their looks and activity. I'll be happy when it is over though and I can get them back home. Lots of life in the tank is way cool, no doubt. That video of the jellies also shows a lot of worms dancing around trying to catch planktonic food.
I've been using my iPhone 7 Plus camera, sometimes with a tripod and sometimes without, depending on the critter to photograph.
If my ID is correct about the tube anemone, then they don't get very big about 2" max length and only about 3/4" diameter of the tentacles. They're basically white too. Also, most of the time they burrow in the sand. So, my hunch is that is why you wouldn't see them in your LFS, too small and not colorful. The issue with native critters in our area is also the bland colors, not popular at your LFS. Heck, they even dye fish in glow colors now and sell the you know what out of them. But, back to the tube anemone, the one attractive thing to reefers for them would be that they like to burrow in sand beds, maybe could be considered part of a clean up crew or something?
I doubt the jellyfish would survive in my tank to adulthood, simply because I'm using a HOB filter and a powerhead. Even in my big tank, they may survive in the sump, but the pump and also my gyre would probably kill them. I suspect that they'll survive at the cellular level through to the ephyra (larval medusa) stage, but after that...squish. Perhaps those torn up stay alive and become polyps? I still have no idea how they got in there. So, during the life cycle of the moon jelly, they basically spawn as adults, and after gamete fertilization, something called planula (a larva) forms and settles on some sort of substrate. It then morphs into a polyp that pretty much looks just like a mini anemone. I've seen them attached to my shells, and then grow into the polyp, and that process seems to take a couple weeks. Then, after a few more weeks, they change to the budding polyp, which reminds me of a stack of paper cupcake holders. I think that at that point, polyps start breaking away as a larval form of medusa called an ephyra. I've seen as many as eight ephyra stacked on to one polyp, and then after about a week it's down to one or two, and then just a nub of a base, so I guess another two weeks for a total of 6 weeks or so? These are my estimates, it may take a little longer. Until yesterday, I thought that I had anemones and the budding polyps looked different enough that I thought that they were a different species! Last night, the light bulb went off, especially when some of the "anemones" seemed to disappear. In my mind, I thought that they just moved like anemones often do, but nope, they turned into budding polyps and well, budded off. LOL. I have seen a couple of the ephyra floating/swimming in my tank current, but not often, and have yet to see one turn into a medusa. I suspect that might change in my sump refugium when that time comes, if I let it happen. I plan to donate the oyster shell with the most cniderian life on it to our local public aquarium jellyfish tank this weekend.
It was creepy seeing that worm come out, and then another one, and then another one, etc. But, after watching them around the shrimp, my guess is that they don't pose a thread to anything in my tank. That might be different if my blennies breed, because fish fry seem to always be food for just about anything. We will see when that day comes.
I am just thankful that none of my fish have died in QT. I've been good with my water changes and keeping the copper levels at the right therapeutic level, at least the fish seem to be telling me that based on their looks and activity. I'll be happy when it is over though and I can get them back home. Lots of life in the tank is way cool, no doubt. That video of the jellies also shows a lot of worms dancing around trying to catch planktonic food.
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