I'm Freaking, Out Someone Help!

[Mr. Fish]

So, I bought a little patch of xenia on a tiny rock today. After looking at it in my tank for awhile I noticed at least 20 one inch strands of something. The strands are about as thick as a hair, they are brown colored with black dots every 1/8 of an inch or so. They seem to be coming out of a small mass of something on the rock. At first I thought it was algae, but they seem to have a life of their own and once I turned my powerhead off a bunch more came out. I know a picture would really help, but I wont be home again until tomorrow to take a picture.

I started my tank with all dead rock because I was really worried about introducing something to my precious tank and it looks like did anyway with this stupid frag.

If anyone has any idea what it is please help. I can't even sleep I am so worried.

 

[Mr. Fish]

Gah, that comma in the wrong place in the title is really bugging me.

 

[HanoverFist]

heh relax from the sounds of it they sound like mini-brittle star's arms hanging out. They hide in rock crevices and hang their arms out looking for food. That's why more came out when powerhead came on.

Look sorta like this?

Edit: Keep a close eye out (especially at night - use red flashlight) and you may (seems semi-rare) see them crawling around on rocks and sand bed. Really cool part of the cleanup crew to have.

 

[Mr. Fish]

Thanks for the fast reply. I don't think they are brittle stars. The arms are really really skinny (about the width of a hair) and some are over an inch long. They also don't have any ridging like the brittle star's arms.

heh relax from the sounds of it they sound like mini-brittle star's arms hanging out. They hide in rock crevices and hang their arms out looking for food. That's why more came out when powerhead came on.

Look sorta like this?

Edit: Keep a close eye out (especially at night - use red flashlight) and you may (seems semi-rare) see them crawling around on rocks and sand bed. Really cool part of the cleanup crew to have.

 

[Giglamesh]

vermitulated (Spelling) snail perhaps

 

[Mr. Fish]

vermitulated (Spelling) snail perhaps

Nothing came up when I googled that.

 

[micrors4racer]

Are they clear strands? It might be this type of snail that lives in a tube and catches food by throwing a string out like a web. Whenever I blow my rocks with a turkey baster they always shoot out and feed. As far as I know they are harmless but I forgot the name.

 

[Mr. Fish]

Are they clear strands? It might be this type of snail that lives in a tube and catches food by throwing a string out like a web. Whenever I blow my rocks with a turkey baster they always shoot out and feed. As far as I know they are harmless but I forgot the name.

They seem to have a brownish color to them. The most distinctive thing about them is the black dots.

 

[HanoverFist]

He meant vermetid snail. Check out this link of Live Rock Hitchikers. They tend to throw out a web not a single strand. Found as a small (1/4" long) tube sticking out of the rock - web comes out the tube.

It (now) sounds like a spionid worm or spaghetti worm or some form of tube worm. Long, white, thread-like tongues that wave around in the flow, or "feel" around on the surface of the rock. More harmless hitchikers/dertrivores.

it could also be a hydroid or something else too.

Read that hitchhikers guide, and do some searches to learn the most common pests, and learn the common good/bad guys. You'll be more confident in yourself when you spot new things and know right away what they are.

And you will spot TONS of new things if you get a good piece of live rock.


EDIT: Pics can help too. Sometimes even a crappy one will give someone a fuzzy enough impression to ID something.

 

[Mr. Fish]

I managed to get someone to take a picture for me. Sorry its so crappy, but its the best I can do until tomorrow.

 

[chessnutt]

looks like spaghetti worm to me

 

[cjj14u]

looks like spaghetti worm to me

+1.....

 

[coralnut99]

Spaghetti worms.......hold the sauce.

They'll grab small bits in the water column, I wouldn't worry a bit.

Sorry for the bad pun.

 

[sue711]

^^ agreed

 

[Frogmanx82]

That's what I don't understand about the dry rock thing. As soon as you buy your first coral your open to about anything. Spaghetti worms are about as inevitable as bristleworms, not a problem. Those actually look pretty cool. Mine are mostly clear strands.

I'll tell you the biggest problem is that you have xenia in your tank. Mine doubles every four weeks and requires serious pruning.

 

[Pickupman66]

Spagetti worms. harmelss.

 

[jasonrp104]

looks like spaghetti worm to me

Yep. Got the same colored ones in mine