Sea Monster

[rade8em]

Please help !

I have a area that I think is a cluster of tunicates. The problem is
its growing up my polyp, the darn thing grows each day its amazing
it is covering the rock like a rug.
What I am afraid of is it going to suffocate everything on the rock?
Has anyone had anything like this grow like this?
and can someone tell me what exactly this darn thing is?

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data...sea_monster.jpg

 

[greenbean36191]

Yes, these are tunicates. Yes, I've had them. Yes, they can overgrow desirable things in the tank. This is a major problem in the Pacific Northwest where they've been introduced.

Generally they aren't an issue in reef tanks though because there's not a whole lot of food for them. You can just wait and see what they do. If they start becoming a problem you can take a razor and peel them off the rock. You can also squirt them with kalk paste. However, be aware that tunicates have some extremely nasty competitive and anti-predation chemicals, so if you kalk them you'll only want to do it a small portion at a time and run some carbon.

 

[rade8em]

Thank you so much