Pesty Spikes with Silky String

[asharp13]

I have been noticing all of these little animals(i think) that look like calcified little spikes. i noticed the first ones months ago and didn't think anything of them. today i was doing some moderate tank cleaning and began to notice that they were everywhere. when the tank got stirred up a little, they all started emitting this silky web...these strings were everywhere. my questions:
1. Does anyone know what these are?
2. Why are they there and how do i get rid of them? is there something that i can introduce to the tank that will eat them?
any advice helps and thanks in advance!!!

 

[meowzer]

Look at vermitid snail

 

[ibanez]

They are good, they are filter feeders, but if they over-populate and become a problem you can just scrape them off and remove them from the tank. The only problem I have heard is them being to close to sps coral and irritating the polyps.

 

[abeandlulu]

I have those. I thought they were good.

I think they are pretty cool.

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by abeandlulu
http:///forum/post/3243513
I have those. I thought they were good.

I think they are pretty cool.

They are good, only sometimes if you have a lot you get a lot of the webby stuff, and it looks messy

 

[abeandlulu]

Then dont mess with them...

 

[asharp13]

Thanks for the help all. i have had a couple of vermitid snails and i am positive that is not what they are. they snails i have incountered look like bulges out of the rock that have bigger openings. in my experience, they are big enough to see them poke their heads out.
the things that i have are the size of pencil lead and have no visible opening on the tips. i guess ill just pluck a couple of them out and keep monitoring them.
thanks again for the help SWF you all ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[abeandlulu]

Can you post a pic?

 

[novahobbies]

I think I know what you're talking about when you mention the animals with a larger opening. I have feeling (and this is just my directionless rambling mind you) that there are different species of these snails in our tanks. The ones I have in my 110 are mostly the very thin, pencil-lead size shelled snails. I never see them, but I see their webs when I stir up the sand. I also have the larger variety that came hitchhiking with a zoo frag. This kind has a wider opening, and you can see the snails antennae sticking out of the shell. Also, this one's shell seems like it has less calcium carbonate in its composition....it's softer. I just have a feeling we're looking at two different species of the same kind of animal is all.
Vermetid snails go through periods of boom and bust,depending in part on the available nutrients. If they really bother you, I suggest you try a few tips to reduce your organic load in the tank...more water changes, less feeding, and gently siphoning your bed so any accumulated detritus doesn't get in the water column. I know a lot of people don't believe in siphoning a saltwater tank's sand bed, but I really think it helps to do it once in a while.