What is this, algae, tube worms, coral???

socalmicskills · 05/21/2010, 01:39 PM

Ok, this is what brought me to Reef Central, I hope someone can identify it, I dont' know if I should get rid of it or not. It's only on one rock, but totally covering the rock, the bumblebee snails love it and all of them are on that rock. It is a new tank (4 weeks old) that hasn't cycled yet, and the rock is also new (one week) but none of the other rocks that I got from the same place have it on them. This is a 90 gal tank, with 8 green chromis, one small Xenia coral, and snails and hermit cleanup crew. 30 lbs of rock, and 2 1/2 inches of sand. 2 1200 powerheads, external skimmer, Fluval 405 cansister filter. 2 x 96w lights (one white one blue) and one 40w regular florescent.

dcombs44 · 05/21/2010, 02:30 PM

1) Welcome to Reef Central
2) To answer your question, those are hydroids. They are invasive and can be tough to eradicate. I'd remove the rock.
3) If your tank hasn't cycled, and the rock isn't cured rock, everything will die when your tank begins to process the organic material and produces ammonia and nitrites.
4) If you're running filter floss or similar in the canister, be sure to clean it regularly in a bucket of tank water or you will have excess nutrient problems.
5) If you're new to reefkeeping, be sure and ask questions before you purchase something rather than after. Good luck.

thebanker · 05/21/2010, 03:25 PM

I'm by no means an expert but they look like tube worms more than hydroids. They look like hydroids too, but the tubes they seem to be coming out of is throwing me.

Do they retract into a hard tube when you pound on the glass or agitate them in any way?

thebanker · 05/21/2010, 03:36 PM

actually, the color has me leaning towards hydroids. I believe the above poster was correct.

dcombs44 · 05/21/2010, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebanker

actually, the color has me leaning towards hydroids. I believe the above poster was correct.

I retract my further response about hydroids.

I blew the picture up and noted that they appear to be coming out of "tubes". I'm going to say red fan worms. I've had them, but never seen them in those numbers in one spot.

A larger picture would be helpful, but after zooming on the picture, I'm leaning against hydroids, but with the size and quality of the picture it's still hard for me to tell. Some on the bottom even resemble aptasia.

Are the bases hard and calcerous or are they soft?

ruprecht · 05/21/2010, 05:42 PM

My guess is it's a serpulid not sabellid, because the tubes look calcareous. If when they hide they have an operculum (trap door) covering the hole I am probably right.

EDIT: They are harmless. Keep them!

eshark · 05/25/2010, 10:21 AM

They are tubeworms, which will not hurt anything but will eat food intended for your coral. I have some and they seem not to spread to fast.

NCNBilly · 05/25/2010, 11:53 AM

Look like digitate hydroids or pom-pom hydroids to me.

Shotgunlew · 05/25/2010, 06:56 PM

Id say tube worms but Im not sure....

karaandnick · 05/27/2010, 12:47 AM

I'm going with tube worms

coralnut99 · 05/27/2010, 10:06 AM

It should be pretty easy to tell if the tube is calcerous be feel. As noted, tubeworms are a cool part of the hobby.

rjnjaj · 05/28/2010, 10:47 AM

Why would u put anything in your tank if It didn't cycle yet and I think for a 90 gal u should have at least four watts a gallon that is my personal choice good luck

socalmicskills · 03/03/2011, 04:34 PM

Thank you all so much for all of your responses. Because of the conflicting responses I decided to leave them in there, and keep a close eye on them. It has now been about 8 months and they have not spread. They seem to have stayed on the rock. My yellow eyed kole loves to pick at that rock. I now have a much more stocked, and better set up tank. 760w a 40 gal sump, and 100 lbs of rock.

Moort82 · 03/07/2011, 02:49 AM

They are hydroids but not one of the invasive species ime.

therman · 03/08/2011, 10:02 PM

hydroids

GhostCon1 · 03/08/2011, 11:04 PM

So, are they hard or soft?

socalmicskills · 03/09/2011, 09:36 AM

Soft, they don't blow around with the flow of the water but if you touch them, they are soft.

socalmicskills · 03/09/2011, 09:39 AM

GhostCon1 · 03/09/2011, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by socalmicskills

Soft, they don't blow around with the flow of the water but if you touch them, they are soft.

The entire thing (including tube), correct? If so, I am going to side with the hydroid judgement.

socalmicskills · 03/09/2011, 04:50 PM

Entire thing

badwolf · 03/27/2011, 09:40 PM

look like colonial hydroids to me. I had them didn't multiply for ages then went to t5's and they did get rid while there aren't many

SushiGirl · 03/27/2011, 10:12 PM

Colonial hydroids.

LeslieH · 03/27/2011, 10:39 PM

I'd still like to see a close up before deciding whether they're feather duster polychaetes or hydroids.

socalmicskills · 03/27/2011, 11:12 PM

Sorry, the rock is in the sump now.

badwolf · 03/28/2011, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by socalmicskills

Sorry, the rock is in the sump now.

good idea you can leave the hydroids there they shouldn't spread back to display as long as there are no more in it anyway.

View Poll Results: Is this a
tube worm	39	61.90%
coral	3	4.76%
algae	0	0%
something else	21	33.33%
Voters: 63. You may not vote on this poll

05/21/2010, 02:30 PM	#2
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	1) Welcome to Reef Central 2) To answer your question, those are hydroids. They are invasive and can be tough to eradicate. I'd remove the rock. 3) If your tank hasn't cycled, and the rock isn't cured rock, everything will die when your tank begins to process the organic material and produces ammonia and nitrites. 4) If you're running filter floss or similar in the canister, be sure to clean it regularly in a bucket of tank water or you will have excess nutrient problems. 5) If you're new to reefkeeping, be sure and ask questions before you purchase something rather than after. Good luck. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

05/21/2010, 03:25 PM	#3
thebanker Moved On Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 2,315	I'm by no means an expert but they look like tube worms more than hydroids. They look like hydroids too, but the tubes they seem to be coming out of is throwing me. Do they retract into a hard tube when you pound on the glass or agitate them in any way? Last edited by thebanker; 05/21/2010 at 03:30 PM.

05/27/2010, 10:06 AM	#11
coralnut99 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Bushkill, PA Posts: 3,632	It should be pretty easy to tell if the tube is calcerous be feel. As noted, tubeworms are a cool part of the hobby. __________________ Why can't my wife see this stuff as an investment? Current Tank Info: way too much to list, and still adding more!

03/08/2011, 10:02 PM	#15
therman biodiversity enthusiast Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Whitehouse, OH, USA Posts: 1,107	hydroids __________________ October 2001 TOTM Current Tank Info: 65g mixed display 100g rubbermaid sump/prop tank, 20g refugium, 100g half cube rimless acro display, 3x 100-180g prop tanks. All powered by LED.

05/21/2010, 03:36 PM	#4
thebanker Moved On Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 2,315	actually, the color has me leaning towards hydroids. I believe the above poster was correct.

05/21/2010, 05:42 PM	#6
ruprecht Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 148	My guess is it's a serpulid not sabellid, because the tubes look calcareous. If when they hide they have an operculum (trap door) covering the hole I am probably right. EDIT: They are harmless. Keep them!

05/25/2010, 10:21 AM	#7
eshark Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 147	They are tubeworms, which will not hurt anything but will eat food intended for your coral. I have some and they seem not to spread to fast.

05/25/2010, 11:53 AM	#8
NCNBilly Black thumb reefer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Harrisburg, PA Posts: 1,043	Look like digitate hydroids or pom-pom hydroids to me.

05/25/2010, 06:56 PM	#9
Shotgunlew Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 128	Id say tube worms but Im not sure....

05/27/2010, 12:47 AM	#10
karaandnick Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Rowlett, TX Posts: 56	I'm going with tube worms

05/28/2010, 10:47 AM	#12
rjnjaj Moved On Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 15	Why would u put anything in your tank if It didn't cycle yet and I think for a 90 gal u should have at least four watts a gallon that is my personal choice good luck

03/03/2011, 04:34 PM	#13
socalmicskills Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central Oregon Posts: 15	Thank you all so much for all of your responses. Because of the conflicting responses I decided to leave them in there, and keep a close eye on them. It has now been about 8 months and they have not spread. They seem to have stayed on the rock. My yellow eyed kole loves to pick at that rock. I now have a much more stocked, and better set up tank. 760w a 40 gal sump, and 100 lbs of rock.

03/07/2011, 02:49 AM	#14
Moort82 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Posts: 1,576	They are hydroids but not one of the invasive species ime.

03/08/2011, 11:04 PM	#16
GhostCon1 Rebmem Deretsiger Join Date: May 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,590	So, are they hard or soft? __________________ In the works Current Tank Info: Getting a big'un

03/09/2011, 09:36 AM	#17
socalmicskills Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central Oregon Posts: 15	Soft, they don't blow around with the flow of the water but if you touch them, they are soft.

03/09/2011, 09:39 AM	#18
socalmicskills Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central Oregon Posts: 15

03/09/2011, 04:50 PM	#20
socalmicskills Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central Oregon Posts: 15	Entire thing

03/27/2011, 09:40 PM	#21
badwolf Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Yorkshire United Kingdom Posts: 57	look like colonial hydroids to me. I had them didn't multiply for ages then went to t5's and they did get rid while there aren't many

03/27/2011, 10:12 PM	#22
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	Colonial hydroids.

03/27/2011, 10:39 PM	#23
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	I'd still like to see a close up before deciding whether they're feather duster polychaetes or hydroids. __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

03/27/2011, 11:12 PM	#24
socalmicskills Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central Oregon Posts: 15	Sorry, the rock is in the sump now.

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