ID help please

[saltwaterwannabe]

I have had these tube like structures in my tank for a long time. They do not seem to cause issues but recently started to grow inbetween some of my acan heads. They are about 1/16" in diameter and 1/4" long. They sometimes have a thread like tentacle about an inch long. What are theae and are they a problem?

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[wally]

Vermetid Snail and can irritate corals.


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[wally]

Or Polychaete - Chaetopterid/Spionid.


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[saltwaterwannabe]

These look exactly like the spionid pics I found online including the threadlike tentacle.

While these may not be considered a nuisance, they are covering all of my old rock and are migrating to the new rock. Should I be alarmed and is there anytbing I can do to reduce or eliminate these?

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[telsonman]

See if you can break them off. Thats what I do, especially when I get frags with them.

 

[saltwaterwannabe]

From what I have read so far breaking then off sounds like the way to go, I have at least a thousand though.

Below is the best link I have found for worms....
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rs/">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rs/</a>



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[saltwaterwannabe]

I have read that peppermint shrimps or copperbands will eat these. Does anyone know if this is true and whether the tube would remain?

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[saltwaterwannabe]

Here is abother site

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f184/hitchhiker-id-guide-202739.html#/topics/202739?page=1">http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f184/hitchhiker-id-guide-202739.html#/topics/202739?page=1</a>


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[saltwaterwannabe]

This is the best site I-have found for small critter id. I read it last night but did not post it.

http://www.masa.asn.au/masawiki/index.php/Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Reef_Tank">http://www.masa.asn.au/masawiki/index.php/Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Reef_Tank</a>

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[saltwaterwannabe]

So I started trying to break the spionid worm tubes off with tweezers, mostly unsuccessfully, but I was able to see the little guys sometimes. After a while, I determined that most of the worm tubes were empty, they likely died or hermit crabs ate them if the sites I have been reading are somewhat correct. I have only seen a few of the worms' tentacles at any time and it sounds as though they should all be out if the tank is stirred up or during a heavy phyto feeding.

I opted to start smashing the tubes like a couple of the other web sites suggested. It stirred up quite a mess, so I will be doing a large WC shortly. They smashed relatively easily with the backside of the tweezers for the most part, there were some that were a bit more difficult that I ended up beating into the rock a bit. I did not work the difficult to reach areas yet. I guess I will find out how well the smash technique works in a few days.

 

[jennm]

Those tubes are sharp too - be careful when you're handling your rocks. The can cut up your fingers.

Jenn

 

[tangueray]

Peppermint shrimps work. I haven't seen too many new ones since adding them. Just like aiptasia, the peps don't wipe them out, but they keep them under control.

 

[saltwaterwannabe]

It looks like the tank will have some peppermints as soon as I pick some up. The last time I had aptasia the peppermints wiped them out. I have been aptasia free since last year and got rid of the peppermints last year as well.

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[mattgee87]

Let me know if the peppermints work ! I have the same issue in one of my tanks


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[tangueray]

Funny, mine have always left several aips behind. I've been injecting them with aiptasia x and they keep getting smaller, but they never completely disappear. I don't see any new ones at least.