What's on my live rock?

yakfishin · 11/13/2006, 10:48 AM

About a week ago I was examining some live rock that I have curing, and I noticed what looked like long thin worms laying on most of rock. When I when to pick one up, it just reduced to powder. I'm guessing that some organisms all decided to do some house cleaning all at the same time, and it was like worm castings that I was seeing. They all appeared just over the course of a single night, on different rocks within the same container. It's weird because except for the occasional chiton or two, I have not seen any other evidence of life in my live rock. Has anyone else had these worm castings before? By worm castings I'm refering to the debris that is pushed out of their holes, for those who might not know.

kau_cinta_ku · 11/13/2006, 11:01 AM

they are tube worms, filter feeders

yakfishin · 11/13/2006, 12:08 PM

What I'm looking at isn't the organism itself, it's more like the debris from whatever that lives in the holes in the rock has pushed out of their holes. Due tube worms live within the holes and cleaning out their burrows periodically? What I have on top of my rocks looks like 1-3" of thin angel hair pasta, brown in color, and when you try to pick them up they just fall apart- I'm guessing it's nothing but mud and debris leftover from some organisms that decided to clean out their burrows one night.

cgjw2000 · 11/13/2006, 12:12 PM

I get some of that too... usually I get something like that from snails but sometimes it is just there in the morning... I have not been able to identify the source either... do you have pictures? I will take some to see if they compare...

dlaxer24 · 11/13/2006, 12:44 PM

I get the same thing. I'm thinking it is "mud and debris leftover from some organisms that decided to clean out their burrows one night"

kiknchikn · 11/13/2006, 12:50 PM

Do they look like these?

www.MikesReef.com

yakfishin · 11/14/2006, 11:03 AM

Hey Kiknchik, - mine don't really look like that. For the most part they are straight, with perhaps a little bit of a curve. To me the wierd thing is that they lay upon my rock and are for the most part unbroken, and yet I can't even touch one without it turning to mush. So how does an organism (whatever "it" is) push this thing out of it's home in such a neat tube without it breaking all to pieces?? I'll see if I can get pictures tonight, but my wifes digital doesn't seem to want to take good closeups- with the aquarium being setup, I'll need to change that. What I have looks like someone cut out a neat looking plug from the rock and just laid it there- about the diameter of a spaghetti noodle, some a little larger and others smaller. It all happened at the same time, one night my rock was clean and the next morning I had a dozens laying on different rocks. Must have been a block party!

11/13/2006, 10:48 AM	#1
yakfishin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 696	What's on my live rock? About a week ago I was examining some live rock that I have curing, and I noticed what looked like long thin worms laying on most of rock. When I when to pick one up, it just reduced to powder. I'm guessing that some organisms all decided to do some house cleaning all at the same time, and it was like worm castings that I was seeing. They all appeared just over the course of a single night, on different rocks within the same container. It's weird because except for the occasional chiton or two, I have not seen any other evidence of life in my live rock. Has anyone else had these worm castings before? By worm castings I'm refering to the debris that is pushed out of their holes, for those who might not know.

11/13/2006, 12:50 PM	#6
kiknchikn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1,556	Do they look like these? www.MikesReef.com __________________ I am a proud member of the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society (CMAS). If you're in the Maryland area check us out! Current Tank Info: 30g nano reef

11/13/2006, 11:01 AM	#2
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	they are tube worms, filter feeders

11/13/2006, 12:08 PM	#3
yakfishin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 696	What I'm looking at isn't the organism itself, it's more like the debris from whatever that lives in the holes in the rock has pushed out of their holes. Due tube worms live within the holes and cleaning out their burrows periodically? What I have on top of my rocks looks like 1-3" of thin angel hair pasta, brown in color, and when you try to pick them up they just fall apart- I'm guessing it's nothing but mud and debris leftover from some organisms that decided to clean out their burrows one night.

11/13/2006, 12:12 PM	#4
cgjw2000 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Chester, PA Posts: 60	I get some of that too... usually I get something like that from snails but sometimes it is just there in the morning... I have not been able to identify the source either... do you have pictures? I will take some to see if they compare...

11/13/2006, 12:44 PM	#5
dlaxer24 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: LI, N.Y. Posts: 79	I get the same thing. I'm thinking it is "mud and debris leftover from some organisms that decided to clean out their burrows one night"

11/14/2006, 11:03 AM	#7
yakfishin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 696	Hey Kiknchik, - mine don't really look like that. For the most part they are straight, with perhaps a little bit of a curve. To me the wierd thing is that they lay upon my rock and are for the most part unbroken, and yet I can't even touch one without it turning to mush. So how does an organism (whatever "it" is) push this thing out of it's home in such a neat tube without it breaking all to pieces?? I'll see if I can get pictures tonight, but my wifes digital doesn't seem to want to take good closeups- with the aquarium being setup, I'll need to change that. What I have looks like someone cut out a neat looking plug from the rock and just laid it there- about the diameter of a spaghetti noodle, some a little larger and others smaller. It all happened at the same time, one night my rock was clean and the next morning I had a dozens laying on different rocks. Must have been a block party!