Strange pooh in my tank

[EvilTwin]

When I first set up my saltwater tank last year and put in my LR to cycle with I started finding these little "tubes" of fecal matter collecting in the tank. Every day I would look in the tank and find a new tube. They were all accumulating in the same spot in the tank. Here are pics:

The tubes are very fragile and would disintegrate easily if disturbed. Once I put fish and cleanup crew in the tank, the tubes stopped appearing. This weekend I moved everything in my tank to a new 75g tank and this morning I found one of these tubes again. I haven't seen one in months and suddenly there it was, bigger than before. I suspected some hitchiker from the LR but never saw anything.

Anyone have any ideas what this is???

 

[Scottm]

when do you find them? in the morning or randomly during the day? Do they appear to be made out of the matierial around on the sand bed or in the rocks? Are they hollow? I suspect its some type of worm or perhaps some sort of sea cucumber. Do you have one?

 

[EvilTwin]

They always showed up each morning. They were always in the same area each morning. Each day I would fine a new one. They will practically disintigrate if you try to move or remove them. They seem to be just a solid strand of fecal matter. I have always suspected some type of worm in the tank that came in on my rock but have never seen one. No cuke.