What are these wormy things and what can I do to eliminate them?

[tt101]

Hello Everyone,

I have a simple 20G FOWLR tank with ab ocellaris clown pair and a pajama cardinal. I've had this tank setup for roughly 4.5 years now. Within the past couple years I've noticed these worm like tube things sticking out of the substrate as well as along the bottom 1/3 of the live rock. Originally I only seen a few but their population has now booked enormously.

I am hoping to upgrade the tank very very soon to a 40-50ish gallon tank and I want to fix this issue before transferring it to the new tank. I will attach some images, sorry for the poor quality.

Thank you in advance.

 

[CPdude]

If they are on the substrate then they are spaghetti worms. Very helpful clean up crew and harmless. So no need to remove them at all.

Sent from my LG-H650 using Tapatalk

 

[Ron Reefman]

If they are on the substrate then they are spaghetti worms. Very helpful clean up crew and harmless. So no need to remove them at all.

Sorry, I don't think those are spaghetti worms. Spaghetti worm tubes are not hard and the don't stick up out of the sand, they are buried in the sand or under rocks.

They could be vermetid snail, but I think it's more likely they may be current or old feather duster tubes. Mine are out most any time, but more so at night. Do you ever see small white feathery round things stick out the top. Any movement will scare them back inside the tube.

 

[CPdude]

Sorry, I don't think those are spaghetti worms. Spaghetti worm tubes are not hard and the don't stick up out of the sand, they are buried in the sand or under rocks.

They could be vermetid snail, but I think it's more likely they may be current or old feather duster tubes. Mine are out most any time, but more so at night. Do you ever see small white feathery round things stick out the top. Any movement will scare them back inside the tube.

Well my spaghetti tubes look like that and they are on the substrate like his. I don't think those are vermetids, I have 1 in my tank and it looks nothing like the tubes in the picture. My only guess now are spionid(sorry idk how to spell) worms or feather dusters. Just IME my feather dusters aren't anywhere on the substrate, its mostly spionid and spaghetti worms forming the tubes on the sand,mostly next to or below rocks.

Sent from my LG-H650 using Tapatalk

 

[tt101]

If they are on the substrate then they are spaghetti worms. Very helpful clean up crew and harmless. So no need to remove them at all.

Sent from my LG-H650 using Tapatalk

This was what I thought originally as well, but no pictures online have vertical tubes like these.

Sorry, I don't think those are spaghetti worms. Spaghetti worm tubes are not hard and the don't stick up out of the sand, they are buried in the sand or under rocks.

They could be vermetid snail, but I think it's more likely they may be current or old feather duster tubes. Mine are out most any time, but more so at night. Do you ever see small white feathery round things stick out the top. Any movement will scare them back inside the tube.

Nope, never see any feathery looking things coming out of the top ever. I did just take a close look and they have 2 tentical like things coming out of the top though.

Well my spaghetti tubes look like that and they are on the substrate like his. I don't think those are vermetids, I have 1 in my tank and it looks nothing like the tubes in the picture. My only guess now are spionid(sorry idk how to spell) worms or feather dusters. Just IME my feather dusters aren't anywhere on the substrate, its mostly spionid and spaghetti worms forming the tubes on the sand,mostly next to or below rocks.

Sent from my LG-H650 using Tapatalk

I did a google search yesterday and seen those spinoid worms as well. I was thinking it was either spinoid worms or the spaghetti worms. As mentioned above, 2 tenticals are sticking out from the tubes (first time I ever really look that close). While surfing google, I seen something that looked exactly like that, I'm going to see if I can find it again.


Thank you very much guys for all your help, I really appreciate it.

 

[tt101]

Well looks like I have a positive ID, these are in fact Spinioids. I also notices a mass of red tenticals in some areas, so also spaghetti worms too (yay me....ugh). I am sure they are highly beneficial to the aquarium, however they are also very ugly and just too many. I wonder if a diamond goby would prevent a future overgrowth.