Massive outbreak of.... encrusting tube worms?

[Garage1217]

This is rather odd, but I came home from my trip and on the back glass of my display fuge I have around oh.... 5,000+ small encrusting tube worms all of the sudden. They are all super tiny right now but I know exactly what they are. Anyone else ever have them take off like this?

I have always had some in my tanks and love them especially when they get an inch or so long but man I have never seen anything like this before / in this qty. It is like the whole back glass is peppered with them. But none on the sides... The back glass is painted black so wonder if that has somthing to do with it. I have some on the back glass of the main display as well but not even close to this qty. Guess they really like the display fuge.

 

[bozoman]

You are talking about tube snails correct? Red or white tubes that fish for floating particles using a net of saliva of some sort. They eventually grow into large snails. I have a 2-3 inch and a few 1 inch long tube snails on my live rock. They spread fast but grow kind of slow. It could be seasonal. All my other snails are multiplying at the moment.

 

[Garage1217]

Not a snail that I know of, they do not move and encrust to the glass or rock growing a calcium tube. Also they produce a head just like a large tube worm but small size. They usually get around 2-3" long encrusted to live rock or glass. Just never seen them in this qty.

 

[JMCAquarium]

I have what your talking about I just let them be and they grow and die all over my tank. oly time I remove them is when they are on frag plugs I'm selling then I pop them off so not to bother the new owners

 

[Garage1217]

Right on, Yeah I always just let them be, I dig them. Just never saw them in this kind of qty / all of the sudden. Kind of cool. Glad they are in my display fuge as filter feeders are what I need haha

 

[KarlBob]

I've seen them pop up on a fuge wall, too. They seem to like being in a place with a consistent current that carries plenty of food. When one finds such a place, more usually follow in short order.

 

[Che]

I have quite a few in the return section of my sump. I consider it free extra filtration.

Che