Just Found This On My Coral???

[shinobi69]

Sorry For The Picture But Thats As Good As Its Going To Get With My Camera. Its The White Tube Looking Thing Right In The Center Of The Picture. What Is It? I A Clear Worm Like Thing Comes Out From Time To Time.

 

[joebob7]

i have something like that
its a tube coated with sand right???
then 2 little worm/tentacles come out
i dont know what it is
i would also like to know

 

[shinobi69]

Yea Thats Right. Hopefully It Doesn't t Harm The Coral.

 

[shinobi69]

I Guess I Should Post It Up Under Coral Forum?

 

[dreamer44]

i think i have it too, but like 4 of them.their so small and in a cave in my tank, its hard to tell if their covered in sand tough...
id also like to know what they are??
Lori

 

[zman1]

Hitchhiker - Calcareous feahterduster that lost it's crown or perhaps a Vermetid snail?

 

[steve24]

looks like a Vermetid snail to me ...

 

[dreamer44]

doesnt move at all ... dont snails move??
Lori

 

[texasmetal]

Vermetid snails don't use tentacles, they cast a mucous net and reel it in.
It's some sort of worm. If you look around your tank you'll probably see more of them. Harmless hitchhiker. Beneficial.

 

[shinobi69]

Any Other Suggestions

 

[reefernana]

I have them, too, and have been told that they're spaghetti worms. I have one at the bottom of one of my kaileni table rocks and one that is actually buried in the sand in the corner of my tank. They both have 2 spaghetti looking arms that come out and reach out to get food from the water. They are more solid looking than the hair worms that I have, also. Those tentacles are more hair strand like with filaments that sweep the water for food.

 

[myzislow]

Originally Posted by shinobi69
Any Other Suggestions

Spionid Worm

 

[rainbowsix]

I think most people know them as peanut worms, they stretch out and get sand on them to make that home, they are harmless.

 

[exlfs]

It's simply a serpelid worm. There are many types by many different names....peanut worm, spaghetti worm, etc. No harm. Only good. Should have thousands of these in a healthy tank unless you have fish/crustaceans that prey on them (hawkfish, some gobies and angels, etc). The tube you see is simply substrate attached to the tube which protects the body of the organism. Essentially it's a 'feather duster' body without that type of head. Rather, the animal has long 'tentacles' which will extend for feeding and pull in tiny food particluate. Others will secrete (depending on the particular critter) a mucous filter-feeding sack in the evening or during feeding. This is called 'food webbing' where the 'web' the worm extends captures particulate matter to be pulled in and consumed by the worm (the later types typically have a 'hard' tube rather than a flexible tube, however). Nothing but good.
Hope that helps. God bless.

 

[joebob7]

thay have really reproduced in my tank
i bet for every 2 sq inches of sand there is one in it
do most gobies prey on them??

 

[exlfs]

Having a lot of these in a tank typically means one of two things:
1. The tank is quite healthy.
or
2. The tank is being over-fed (usually not the case)
Over the years, I've found that most people experience a huge bloom in their popluation after they start feeding micro-foods such as phytoplankton. Also, this occurs if the tank has a low load of organisms that feed on them, and the tank is becoming stable. For example, a tank becoming healthy will bloom with all sorts of such critters in the absence of a population of reef-safe predatory crabs such as Mythrax, Arrows or others who like to munch on them. Same is true in absence of fish which prey on fanworms, etc. like angels and butterflys.
Assuming that your nitrates are where they should be, the presence of these likely means your tank is in good shape. A lot of these and high nitrates likely means weak skimming and an eco-system which is out of balance. FWIW.
Hope that helps.