What is this?

[Lucky13]

It's smaller then a pin head and it's made up of sand with quarter of an inch hair tentacles. Sorry for the pic I did it on my iPod.

 

[BallinCrew10]

Its a volcano!!!! Lol jk is it on the glass ? I had something similar on my glass. Tiny little filter feeders that kinda looked like barnacles. If its them they're nothing to worry about.

 

[iDream]

Try here: Xtalreef

I'm thinking spaghetti worms

 

[Lucky13]

Volcano lol, it does look like one and yes it looks like a very tiny spaghetti worm. Thanks. Is it bad?

 

[Fishtank freak]

I have similar things in my tank for the past 6 weeks and the haven't seemed to bother anything

 

[iDream]

Nope, they won't do any harm. They just look funny

 

[Lucky13]

Ok, so I should just leave them alone then. And I have some bristle worms in my tank too. Are they bad? Because I am terrified of having one of these! 4 ft. Long!

 

[iDream]

Ususally the population will increase if you're overfeeding. How often and what do you feed? You should probably feed every other day if you don't already. As the food for them lessens the population will decrease.

But you shouldn't need to remove them. They are good janitors and turn the sandbed over and eat detritus, waste, etc.

I had a large one (about a foot or so stretched out in my little 14G tank) and I took out a rock one day to do something and he was on it, I took that opportunity to remove him. IMO they're fine unless they're huge for your tank, that's when I'd take some out if you can. I got lucky

 

[Lucky13]

Ususally the population will increase if you're overfeeding. How often and what do you feed? You should probably feed every other day if you don't already. As the food for them lessens the population will decrease.

But you shouldn't need to remove them. They are good janitors and turn the sandbed over and eat detritus, waste, etc.

I had a large one (about a foot or so stretched out in my little 14G tank) and I took out a rock one day to do something and he was on it, I took that opportunity to remove him. IMO they're fine unless they're huge for your tank, that's when I'd take some out if you can. I got lucky

Ya, I feed every other day and I never had them until I got 1 pound of live rock with about 7 of them on the the rock and some in it. I took some off so I can put the rock in the tank. Will they eat coral like mushrooms, zoas, and Xenia?

 

[iDream]

Nope, only detritus. Don't touch them either, or you'll regret it!

 

[Lucky13]

Thanks for the info and I used aquarium tweezers to take them off.

 

[MelissaJay]

Ok, so I should just leave them alone then. And I have some bristle worms in my tank too. Are they bad? Because I am terrified of having one of these! 4 ft. Long!

omg..... I have nightmares about creatures that look like that! :shudders:

 

[Yeahitstrue]

Very large Bristle worms have been known to eat mushrooms.

 

[iDream]

Very large Bristle worms have been known to eat mushrooms.

Mushroom corals? I've never heard this to be true since they essentially eat waste

 

[BallinCrew10]

Yea I'm not to sure about that either. I have bristleworms and they don't touch my mushrooms.

 

[mr_X]

common bristle worms don't eat coral, unless it's already dying, no matter what size they are.

 

[Yeahitstrue]

Your absolutely sure? There is a four foot bristle worm in a LFS that is supposed to be eating all the mushrooms that they have tried to put it. Im not necessarily right, thats only the information I have.

 

[XxVooDooxX]

And that picture you posted isn't a bristle worm. Cant remember the name of it but I found one in my tank. Nasty little guys!

 

[mr_X]

right. that's a eunicid worm. common bristle worms do not get to 4 feet.

 

[Yeahitstrue]

Oh, okay. Thanks X