Need an ID

[soulbereaver]

Sorry I don't have a pic, but I'll describe best I can.

On my live rock I have little tiny brown tubs that have little feather dusters on the tips... They aren't more then 1/8 inch long and you can't really see them much unless you look really close.

I know what regular feather dusters look like but these aren't them. The tube sticks out of the rock, and the "feather dusters" on these tubes are very short and tiny.

I'm gonna guess they're known as a pest of some sort, but I'm just curious about them. They seem to be multiplying somewhat rapidly.

Any ideas would be great.

Thanks

 

[sassafrass]

Sounds like hydroids to me , and yes you are right they are pests they will spread and sting your corals. Kalk paste smeared on them and left there worked to kill them for me. Good luck.
Lee

 

[soulbereaver]

Just looked up hydroids, that's not it. They look like miniture feather duster worms but brown and kinda ugly... and they're starting to colonize one whole section of my one of my rocks.

Looks a lot like this picture here, but brown and rather unsightly... there are tons of them lol.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Reef0200.jpg

 

[crvz]

Probably just a harmless filter feeder, but if you don't like them you could try to get a butterfly fish or wrasse that are known to eat worms.

 

[crsswift70]

vermetid snail perhaps? About once a week someone asks what they are it seems.

 

[greenbean36191]

Your description is a spot on description of hydroids. It's not at all surprising that you found pictures of hydroids that didn't look like what you have since that identification is less specific than if we were to say "it's a coral." There are lots of different types of hydroids with all sorts of different growth forms.

 

[soulbereaver]

so if what i'm describing is a bunch of hydroids, what is the best way to tell? what is the best way to rid myself of them?

 

[steri]

I would guess they are just filter feeders, but it's all just a guess. Hey, if you are out in DeKalb, you need to get to know Rod!

http://www.rods-reef.com/

Seriously, he knows a ton, and is one of the best guys in the Illinois area for getting awesome saltwater stuff from.

 

[soulbereaver]

oh trust me I know rod! He's awesome, he's actually the one who helped me get started. He doesn't really sell anything anymore besides his Onyx Clowns and his food. I guess the Food industry is going well.