What is this growing from my sand?

[browning_boy20]

What's this growing from my sand? It ranges in size from 1/4 to 3/8 inch tall. I was getting cyano then it went away and this showed up.

 

[worm5406]

Looks like tube worms... Can you get a picture of the side of your looking at the sand.

I want to see if there re any worms at all on the edge of the glass going up.

Looks like you siphoned?

 

[browning_boy20]

What do you mean " it looks like you siphoned"?
I really can't see anything in my sand since it isn't a deep sand bed and doesn't come up past my trim work. How can I tell if its tube worms? Are they bad?

 

[browning_boy20]

Another thing is its only on the side that had cyano on it

 

[worm5406]

Personally it looks like the top layer was blown away or siphoned. I say this because the diatoms are all around the pipe in the background and the layer of sand is slightly higher there around it..

Just an observation or maybe even the angle I am picturing it.

I had little tube worms like this also and when I moved a powerhead it created a small blowing effect and I saw about 100 of these after about an hour. Some were against the glass so I knew instantly what they were.

But again that is just a guess since I can not see the entire tank bed.

What happens if you disturb the sand near some.

 

[reeftivo]

Looks like tube worms to me too. Not harmful, just irritating to lps if allowed to encroach all over live rock. They spread fast and can cover most everything. Have you seen them send out strings to catch detritus when you stir up the sand bed. That's pretty tell tale along with the hard calcerous tube.

 

[worm5406]

Little worms like this help filter the water column. If that is what they are.. beneficial.

 

[browning_boy20]

Personally it looks like the top layer was blown away or siphoned. I say this because the diatoms are all around the pipe in the background and the layer of sand is slightly higher there around it..

Just an observation or maybe even the angle I am picturing it.

I had little tube worms like this also and when I moved a powerhead it created a small blowing effect and I saw about 100 of these after about an hour. Some were against the glass so I knew instantly what they were.

But again that is just a guess since I can not see the entire tank bed.

What happens if you disturb the sand near some.

Now that you mention it, my return for my hob skimmer came off, which is what you see laying there and I feel certain that's why you say that. It would also explain the sudden disappearance of the cyano in that area. The things sticking up are soft and not calcerous or hard. Does it still sound like tube worms? If I touch them they do not do anything. Will they go back into the sand bed?

Thanks

 

[worm5406]

yeah... sounds like the worms were left after a mild sandstorm... Not to be confused with the Noreaster forming off the east-coast.

Here are one of my younger ones: