Little white tubes - What are they

gavinu · 03/28/2006, 03:04 PM

Hi,

Newbie to ReefCentral here: :-)

I have a reef tank that I've been very slowly building up. It's been running for more than a year. About 3 weeks ago I moved the entire tank to a different location in the house. This seems to have jolted the tank into new life. I'm suddenly getting a spurt of new things appearing on my LR.

On of these things I have not yet identified:
I have these little milky white tube things appearing attached to the rock. They are less than 1/2 inch long and seem to have very short little tentacle like things (almost microscopic) at the end.

I can't seem to get a even half decent pic of them.

Any help identifying these things would be much appreciated.

thanks
Gavin

Ritten · 03/28/2006, 03:16 PM

Hard to tell with out a picture. Sounds like harmless tube worms. Could they have been growing in the shade and in the transfer your rocks were moved to expose them?

gavinu · 03/28/2006, 03:19 PM

That is very possible. I did completely re-arrange.

Thanks for the advice

Travis L. Stevens · 03/28/2006, 04:02 PM

My guesses are Feather Dusters, Tube Worms, Vermetid Snails (Usually greenish-brown tube, though), and/or Q-Tip Sponges.

guitar_lord · 03/28/2006, 04:10 PM

I agree...
tubeworms...

Ritten · 03/28/2006, 04:17 PM

and harmless, right?

allen00se · 03/28/2006, 05:31 PM

sponges are my vote

gavinu · 03/29/2006, 09:18 AM

I'd be really pleased if they turn out to be feather dusters. The are still very tiny so let's see.

sttroyiii · 03/29/2006, 09:25 AM

Try looking up pictures of Spirobid worms. They are tiny little white dots that are spirals on closer inspection. They have a tiny little filter feeding mouth. Mine almost look like tiny little white or red feather duster. Spirobid worms are harmless.

Sk8r · 03/29/2006, 09:26 AM

spionid worms, if the tentacles are 2 in number...harmless, a water-cleaner.

impur · 03/29/2006, 11:50 AM

Sounds like tube worms. Do they give off a stringy mucus thread when you feed the tank? I had tons of these, they seem to come and go in my tank.

shinny · 03/29/2006, 05:02 PM

I have sponges that seem to look like that.

REEFKEEPA · 03/29/2006, 05:56 PM

BARNACLES!

03/28/2006, 03:04 PM	#1
gavinu Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: London, England Posts: 3	Little white tubes - What are they Hi, Newbie to ReefCentral here: :-) I have a reef tank that I've been very slowly building up. It's been running for more than a year. About 3 weeks ago I moved the entire tank to a different location in the house. This seems to have jolted the tank into new life. I'm suddenly getting a spurt of new things appearing on my LR. On of these things I have not yet identified: I have these little milky white tube things appearing attached to the rock. They are less than 1/2 inch long and seem to have very short little tentacle like things (almost microscopic) at the end. I can't seem to get a even half decent pic of them. Any help identifying these things would be much appreciated. thanks Gavin

03/28/2006, 04:02 PM	#4
Travis L. Stevens Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Perry, OK Posts: 13,946	My guesses are Feather Dusters, Tube Worms, Vermetid Snails (Usually greenish-brown tube, though), and/or Q-Tip Sponges. __________________ Travis Stevens Current Tank Info: Restarting 28g Bowfront

03/28/2006, 04:10 PM	#5
guitar_lord Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: London ON Canada Posts: 482	I agree... tubeworms... __________________ -Brian- Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef

03/29/2006, 09:26 AM	#10
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	spionid worms, if the tentacles are 2 in number...harmless, a water-cleaner. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/29/2006, 11:50 AM	#11
impur Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Eugene, OR Posts: 4,262	Sounds like tube worms. Do they give off a stringy mucus thread when you feed the tank? I had tons of these, they seem to come and go in my tank. __________________ Great spirits often encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds. Current Tank Info: 75gal, 20gal sump, 6-54w T5 TEK

03/28/2006, 03:16 PM	#2
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	Hard to tell with out a picture. Sounds like harmless tube worms. Could they have been growing in the shade and in the transfer your rocks were moved to expose them?

03/28/2006, 03:19 PM	#3
gavinu Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: London, England Posts: 3	That is very possible. I did completely re-arrange. Thanks for the advice

03/28/2006, 04:17 PM	#6
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	and harmless, right?

03/28/2006, 05:31 PM	#7
allen00se Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: OKLAHOMA Posts: 172	sponges are my vote

03/29/2006, 09:18 AM	#8
gavinu Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: London, England Posts: 3	I'd be really pleased if they turn out to be feather dusters. The are still very tiny so let's see.

03/29/2006, 09:25 AM	#9
sttroyiii Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 378	Try looking up pictures of Spirobid worms. They are tiny little white dots that are spirals on closer inspection. They have a tiny little filter feeding mouth. Mine almost look like tiny little white or red feather duster. Spirobid worms are harmless.

03/29/2006, 05:02 PM	#12
shinny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 161	I have sponges that seem to look like that.

03/29/2006, 05:56 PM	#13
REEFKEEPA Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: New Orleans Posts: 494	BARNACLES! __________________ WE ROCK!!!!!! Current Tank Info: 70 Gallon tub drilled, 120Lbs LR, 140Lbs LS, CPR CY194 Sump w/LR trickle, Mag Drive 9.5 return, 2 x Tunze6025 for flow, 2 x Ice Cap 660 running 6 x 95 W lamps