Hitchhiker worm Id

woody283 · 02/27/2010, 11:07 AM

My tank has been set up for about 6 months and it was started with dead rock and seeded with sand from my 30g. I have never seen these in the 30. They look to be some kind of worm. When the lights are off they stretch out to about 4 to 5 inches and float in the current, and when the light come on they retract fast and shrink to about a 16th of an inch.

scuba guy ron · 02/27/2010, 11:56 AM

No clue. Those are crazY looking

philneuss · 02/27/2010, 12:02 PM

I had those in my tank as well. They didn't cause any problems. Seemed to be some kind of particulate feeder.

woody283 · 02/27/2010, 03:12 PM

Any ideas. this is the first one to get me stumped. A google search for marine worms turned up nothing. Is it even a worm? I was thinking maybe a hydroid but that didnt turn anything up either.

shrimphead · 02/27/2010, 03:46 PM

i've had these before for a short time, i think i remember reading that they can sting irratating other corals but i might be getting mixed up with something simmilar

greenbean36191 · 02/28/2010, 08:17 AM

They're digitate hydroids. They can sting corals and spread. You'll probably want to kill them.

noahm · 02/28/2010, 10:16 AM

+1 on digitate hydroids, but I have yet to see them sting anything in my tank. They lay all over some of my corals and I have never seen any indication that they are even care. I have read about therm stinging, but it is always second hand. I am thinking that there is either a lot of hearsay spread about them, or there are different species that sting more ore less. Melev has them on his site/tank, and indicates no real probs either.

woody283 · 02/28/2010, 11:02 AM

is manual removal the only way or will they subside over time? Theres nothing in the tank but crabs and snails so if i need to i can pull some rock.

noahm · 02/28/2010, 12:33 PM

I have heard people supergluing over them, others have had them just disappear. I have probably 50 or so spread around my tank. They popped up almost overnight, but haven't spread further in 6 months. Like I said before, though, mine don't bother anything even with direct repeated contact so I just enjoy their unique presence. I imagine you can take out the rock and treat it any number of ways to kill them.

02/27/2010, 11:56 AM	#2
scuba guy ron Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 1,455	No clue. Those are crazY looking __________________ Ron Current Tank Info: 6yr old 37 Gallon Column mixed reef

02/27/2010, 03:12 PM	#4
woody283 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Hustisford WI Posts: 132	Any ideas. this is the first one to get me stumped. A google search for marine worms turned up nothing. Is it even a worm? I was thinking maybe a hydroid but that didnt turn anything up either. __________________ If all else fails, use a bigger hammer. Current Tank Info: 30 gallon cube SPS, 65g sps in the works (slowly but surely)

02/28/2010, 08:17 AM	#6
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	They're digitate hydroids. They can sting corals and spread. You'll probably want to kill them. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

02/28/2010, 10:16 AM	#7
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	+1 on digitate hydroids, but I have yet to see them sting anything in my tank. They lay all over some of my corals and I have never seen any indication that they are even care. I have read about therm stinging, but it is always second hand. I am thinking that there is either a lot of hearsay spread about them, or there are different species that sting more ore less. Melev has them on his site/tank, and indicates no real probs either. Last edited by noahm; 02/28/2010 at 10:24 AM.

02/28/2010, 11:02 AM	#8
woody283 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Hustisford WI Posts: 132	is manual removal the only way or will they subside over time? Theres nothing in the tank but crabs and snails so if i need to i can pull some rock. __________________ If all else fails, use a bigger hammer. Current Tank Info: 30 gallon cube SPS, 65g sps in the works (slowly but surely)

02/27/2010, 12:02 PM	#3
philneuss Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Idaho Posts: 59	I had those in my tank as well. They didn't cause any problems. Seemed to be some kind of particulate feeder.

02/27/2010, 03:46 PM	#5
shrimphead Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 552	i've had these before for a short time, i think i remember reading that they can sting irratating other corals but i might be getting mixed up with something simmilar

02/28/2010, 12:33 PM	#9
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	I have heard people supergluing over them, others have had them just disappear. I have probably 50 or so spread around my tank. They popped up almost overnight, but haven't spread further in 6 months. Like I said before, though, mine don't bother anything even with direct repeated contact so I just enjoy their unique presence. I imagine you can take out the rock and treat it any number of ways to kill them.