Worm

tarmer · 06-28-2006, 05:24 PM

Cannot get a picture they are to small for the camera to pick-up.....

I was looking at my Live Rock earlier and noticed something funny / strange. Crawling along it (or out of it in another case) was what looks like a worm of some sort...

It looks like angel hair pasta - Thin and white / clear - It has one end tucked into a crevace in the rock and is streatching with it's other end (assuming the mouth end) - It seems to be eating (or at least streatching - FORGIVE MY SPELLING - thinking not typing... towards my green hair algae) maybe even eating it...

There are a few of them, they are various sizes - a couple are even sliding across the rock, not tucked in .....

With this poor description anyone have any idea ? I'd rather not have to kill them as they are part of the eco-system - But if they are bad I need to know so I can possibly try and control them..

Any help would be great.... Thanks in advance

dobejazz · 06-28-2006, 10:51 PM

Welcome to TRT Tarmer Sorry I can't help on the worm ID for ya

jenajet · 06-29-2006, 12:24 AM

I have some spagetti worms that do that but they are red and started in the substrate but some made there way to the rocks. I also have a bunch of clear/white worms but they made little tubes out of gravel everywhere. As far as I know none of these worms hurt anything. They actually help by eating waste.

BTW Welcome to TRT!

gloo · 06-30-2006, 08:00 AM

I have the same exact worms you describe, and digged around trying to find out if they were harmless or not.

I asked around on a couple of reef forums regarding these, and everyone thinks they are spinoids, although it seems most spinoids/chaetopterid feed by extending two tentacles out to catch particulates from the water (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rs/index.php).

I have watched these guy go to town after the lights go off, and I have never seen 2 tentacles come out of their burrows, or do the other things mentioned from the above article.

I am very curious to find out exactly what they are, but even with a decent pic, I'm sure its not an easy task.

But from what others tell me, the worst these worms can do is make a mess from the solid tubes they 'eject'.

I'll try and take a pic or a short vid of the feeding action if possible.

Geoff · 06-30-2006, 08:46 AM

Welcome to TRT, gloo and tarmer!!!!

G~

fishtank88 · 07-01-2006, 12:57 AM

Welcome to TRT!!!
Sorry i cant identify it, but if you didnt realize already worms are very common!

Loverotties · 07-01-2006, 04:19 AM

Welcome to TRT! Sorry there are so many worms and other things,that without a pic or a good drawing ,it's hard to be shure.

ChrisPrusha · 07-01-2006, 06:29 AM

Welcome aboard!! w0000000000000000000t!!!