mysterious pest?

[Mine.Mine.]

Hey everyone
I have noticed this in my live rock and have realized they have invaded my 55g. Anyone have a clue? They stretch out their stringy arms (?) Searching for food. If I squirt water on them they retreat into their hole.

 

[Convict2161]

Wow! Never seen that before. I'm tagging along for the answer. Sorry I couldn't help. The only thing that came to mind was spaghetti worm o maybe just die of. Honestly I'm at a loss.

 

[skywhitney]

tagging along on this too since i have these in my tank and was wondering the same thing. Yesterday i say that one of them had nailed and grabbed a small hermit crab. It pulled the crab into its hole so it's obviously something that needs to eat...

Edit: it was a hermit crab molt not the actual crab

 

[Rutrag]

It looks like a spaghetti worm to me. The body is down inside of the rock and the exposed bits are its tentacles. Most of them that I have live in the sand as opposed to the rock, but there are some there as well.

 

[Mine.Mine.]

Any reccomendation on getting rid of them?

 

[skywhitney]

are they good? bad? indifferent?

 

[Mine.Mine.]

Yep. A speghetti worm. I looked it up and it matches. Apparently their abundance in numbers can signal I am over feeding the fishies.

 

[Rutrag]

are they good? bad? indifferent?

Generally they are considered harmless scavengers, but as stated, if you have a lot, it's indicative that you are overfeeding allowing them to increase their poulation density.

 

[skywhitney]

Awesome. Thanks for info. This has answered a question I've had for a little while but never asked.

Mine.mine I apologize if it seems I have taken over your thread. I didn't mean too.

 

[Mine.Mine.]

Awesome. Thanks for info. This has answered a question I've had for a little while but never asked.

Mine.mine I apologize if it seems I have taken over your thread. I didn't mean too.

O don't worry about it! I didnt even think that, plus you were asking legit questions..now had you started rambling about the pros and cons of a deep sand bed, I would suggested a new thread for you (which, by the way, to me, deep sand beds are bomb)

I guess I will use them to gauge my overfeeding in the tank-