new life form??????

[fulcrum]

I had these little white things that started growing on the side of my tank. They look like little white tubes with fans on the end. I thought they were kind of neat. I came home today and looked in my sump and wet dry and found them on every free surface. Hundreds of them.
What are they????????????????
The base appears to split in two and the tube is sausage shaped with with a round fan at the end. The biggest of them is probably a quarter inch.

 

[nas19320]

Probably some type of feather duster. I one time had a whole bunch of them appear in my tank.

 

[fulcrum]

are they good?
They are not in the show tank, so I'm guessing the fish are eating them. Should I clean them out of my fuge or just let them go crazy?

 

[krishj39]

I'd suggest letting them run free. Unless there are so many of them that they are choking out other life forms, then leave them, for this is part of what a fuge is for. It sounds to me like your critters could be pineapple AKA q-tip sponges as well. Regardless, they are clearly a filter feeder, so harmless to your tank. also, you may be providing a food source for your fish, and the animals in the fuge seem to end up in the main tank.

 

[leviwin]

Check out this site and you might find a good picture of what you have.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/index.html

 

[toddpolish]

I also have these white things on my glass. very small...but they are alive and moving around.
looked briefly at that website...couldn't find what they are.
maybe when I get my cleanup crew they will be well...cleaned up. (still cycling-3weeks in)

 

[fulcrum]

I did not find mine on the website either. Who knows?
I'm going to assume they are good filter feeders and leave them until they become a problem.

 

[toddpolish]

I agree - let nature do its thing.