tube worms/small featherdusters

[jrthomas40]

i am starting to get these small white tube worms that look like feather dusters...i would like to get rid of them because they are unsightly and have the potential to take over...anyway know how to get rid of these things aside from taking the rock out and scraping them off???

 

[mrsgoose]

I have tons of these, too. I actually don't mind them, since mine is a new tank w/o much else going on. I've heard they're beneficial filter feeders. Mine are sooo small, but they are multiplying. How much bigger will they get? Right now the tube is maybe 5 mm and the crown about 3 mm across.

 

[jrthomas40]

yeah they are good filter feeders and there is nothing wrong with having them...i dont think they get much bigger than a few mm but there can be so many it looks bad...i have seen a tank over run with them and i didnt like it at all

 

[mrsgoose]

Originally Posted by jrthomas40
yeah they are good filter feeders and there is nothing wrong with having them...i dont think they get much bigger than a few mm but there can be so many it looks bad...i have seen a tank over run with them and i didnt like it at all
is there anything that eats them? I know peppermint shrimp will eat aiptasia, will they munch on dusters, too?

 

[xdave]

Their numbers will go with the amount food in the tank. Adding other filter feeders will help more than finding something too eat them.

 

[jrthomas40]

that makes since dave...i love adding corals

 

[trainfever]

A Copperband Butterfly will eat them.

 

[jrthomas40]

Originally Posted by trainfever
A Copperband Butterfly will eat them.
along with other polyps and coral