dzekunoi January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 (edited) Many years ago (6-7) while on vacation in NC I picked up a dry gorgonian sceleton on the shore. At least I think it's gorgonian. At that time I did not have a reef tank. So the piece was sitting on my bookshelf for all this time, together with a shell and a nice rock. When I was setting up my ponys tank I thought of this piece and thought it will be a nice hanging point for the seahorses to hang on, so in tank it went. Well, 3 weeks later - it opened up??? I see 5-6 pinkish-whitish polyps on it as well as a few "buds" Is it possible at all? How could it be dormant for such a long time without dying? Am I observing something extraordinary? Or maybe it's something else starting growing on it? Which by the appearance of polyps - does not look like it. Can anybody shed light on this mistery? Edited January 3, 2007 by dzekunoi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsaavedra January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 Many years ago (6-7) while on vacation in NC I picked up a gorgonian sceleton. At least I think it's gorgonian. At that time I did not have a reef tank. So the piece was sitting on my bookshelf for all this time, together with a shell and a nice rock. When I was setting up my ponys tank I thought of this piece and thought it will be a nice hanging point for the seahorses to hang on, so in tank it went. Well, 3 weeks later - it opened up??? I see 5-6 pinkish-whitish polyps on it as well as a few "buds" Is it possible at all? How could it be dormant for such a long time without dying? Am I observing something extraordinary? Or maybe it's something else starting growing on it? Which by the appearance of polyps - does not look like it. Can anybody shed light on this mistery? Well that's pretty awesome, go and post it on RC and WWM to see what they have to say cause I am astonished!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 3, 2007 Author Share January 3, 2007 Well that's pretty awesome, go and post it on RC and WWM to see what they have to say cause I am astonished!!! Yeah, I'm planning to post there as well to hear what gurus have to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax7774 January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 if you have other gorgonians in the tank, I'd be willing to bet that they somehow spawned off into the old skeleton... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 3, 2007 Author Share January 3, 2007 if you have other gorgonians in the tank, I'd be willing to bet that they somehow spawned off into the old skeleton... Can they do it? I have 2 other gorgonias there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 (edited) Apiststasia... or how ever you spell it I added frozen brine shrimp to a tank once and had one of them reanimate... so I can relate to having weird things happen Edited January 3, 2007 by jason the filter freak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 Looks like a Foraminiferan of some sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 I dunno guys, it looks exactly the polyps you'd see on a non-photosynthetic gorgonian to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 3, 2007 Author Share January 3, 2007 Looks like a Foraminiferan of some sort. Aren't Foraminifera microscopic species ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax7774 January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 Well guys, Since we now have photographic evidence that Inna has the unique ability to bring dead sea creatures back to life, we will no longer have to buy new fish when the old ones pass on. Inna, could you please bring my coral beauty angel back to life? He was a dear favorite of mine, and I miss him terribly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 3, 2007 Author Share January 3, 2007 Well guys, Since we now have photographic evidence that Inna has the unique ability to bring dead sea creatures back to life, we will no longer have to buy new fish when the old ones pass on. Inna, could you please bring my coral beauty angel back to life? He was a dear favorite of mine, and I miss him terribly. You probably flashed it already. Can not do the trick without a body Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Magnolia January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 That's definitely not a foram - forams tend to be much more free-form, as opposed to the definite polyp structure that seems to be present on that stalk. A closer (macro) image of the ployp would really help if you can get it Inna. I thought aiptasia too, but need a much closer pic to see the structure of the arms (not sure if that's the correct terminology ) of the polyp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 3, 2007 Author Share January 3, 2007 That's definitely not a foram - forams tend to be much more free-form, as opposed to the definite polyp structure that seems to be present on that stalk. A closer (macro) image of the ployp would really help if you can get it Inna. I thought aiptasia too, but need a much closer pic to see the structure of the arms (not sure if that's the correct terminology ) of the polyp. I'll try tonight. I do not think it's aptasia - 1. I saw once before and it does not look like one. 2. It's tenticles are "feathery", 5 per polyp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Stearns January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 looks to me like hydroids. have you been feeding any newly hatched brine shrimp- did you get any rock with your sea horses- Sea horse tanks are notorious for Hydriods. They are not a good thing unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Jake January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 Inna With the picture on hand you have several possibilities, 1) hydroid (agree with Lee) 2) Aptaisia (could be not sure) 3) Anthelia (perhaps a polyp) Either one, I will take it out of my tank if it was me, and my tank. Jacob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 3, 2007 Author Share January 3, 2007 Personally, I started thinking those are hydroid, not colonial which is not very typical? I did not feed freshly hatched brine shrimp but gave some adult live brine. And I do have some LR in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 Definitely an octocoral, look at the branches on the tentacles. Hydroids, Aiptasia, foraminifera don't have branched tentacles, but soft corals and gorgonians do. In fact, it looks just like a non-photosynthetic gorgonian polyp. It would seem really unlikely that a coral could survive being dry for that long, but who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSkimmr January 3, 2007 Share January 3, 2007 http://www.fishworld.com/img/032902/DSCN2388m.jpg Tell me it doesn't look exactly like one of those polyps. I still have no idea how it could survive though. Most people can't keep them alive in their tanks when they're healthy (and freaking ALIVE) to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak January 4, 2007 Share January 4, 2007 Take this over to RC and get some reactions more for kicks than anything else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 4, 2007 Author Share January 4, 2007 Take this over to RC and get some reactions more for kicks than anything else I did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 January 4, 2007 Share January 4, 2007 That's definitely not a foram - forams tend to be much more free-form, as opposed to the definite polyp structure that seems to be present on that stalk. A closer (macro) image of the ployp would really help if you can get it Inna. I thought aiptasia too, but need a much closer pic to see the structure of the arms (not sure if that's the correct terminology ) of the polyp. Here is a picture I shot of a Homotrema rubrum (red foram) in my tank. Here is some good reading without any decent pics. Finally, here is the place to post your pic if you want to know what it really is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 4, 2007 Author Share January 4, 2007 Dan, you forgot to add a picture of the foram in your tank. Nice reading, remondes me good old days at colleage and Zoology of Invertebratas class. I forgot most of it though I do not think it's a foram - do not see calcerous sceleton, too symmetrical polyp. More over, it's 6-7 polyps absolutely identical all aroungd the sceleton. And it's nowhere else in the tank. I posted on Marine Depot - it still stirs the trouble up. He-he, I love mysteries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak January 4, 2007 Share January 4, 2007 Hey inna how about some more pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzekunoi January 4, 2007 Author Share January 4, 2007 Hey inna how about some more pics? I have real trouble using Macro on my camea... I took a dozen pics yeaterday - none on focus. I'll try more today. Cheers, Inna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sturnmeyer January 4, 2007 Share January 4, 2007 http://www.fishworld.com/img/032902/DSCN2388m.jpg Tell me it doesn't look exactly like one of those polyps. I still have no idea how it could survive though. Most people can't keep them alive in their tanks when they're healthy (and freaking ALIVE) to begin with. I'm with you on this one. It even has the darker coloration at the base of the stalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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