Help- parasite? Worms?

[Kalurex]

Fam-

I’ve had something that looked like worms in my tank for a while now. I did some research and they seemed to be harmless at first but they are multiplying at a rapid rate, covering my rock and corals.. my zoas won’t even open anymore. Can’t tell if my yellow tang is breathing rapidly because of these things or I’m just being paranoid. Had my tank wipe out twice due to parasites before and I don’t want these two survivors (clown and tang) to go down for my ignorance. There are small wiggly lines and there are a few tube shaped transparent critters also, larger in size. (Pics attached).

Any advice would be appreciate and thanks!

 

[Miller535]

I don't think either. It Looks like you have a lot of algae and other growth going on. My guess some kind of algae. But I am no expert.

 

[cloak]

They look kind of like Bryozoans IMO. (harmless)

 

[Kalurex]

There is algae on the rocks but that’s not my concern here. I’ll look up bryozoans, thank you. They just seem to be taking over everything so even tho it’s “harmless” I’d like to find a way to keep them away or their numbers down. I know it may be hard to see in the pics, but in the first there is a larger, tapeworm looking milky creature that moves around the tank. There are a few of them. And then the very small, spaghetti like worms that are everywhere.

 

[Kalurex]

This is a much better picture showing both “specimens”....

 

[Kalurex]

This is a much better picture showing both “specimens”....

 

[sp1187]

tiny feather duster worms?

 

[cloak]

Have you ever seen a crown on any of them?

Those larger things you have circled in the picture above are just harmless sponges.

 

[Double monti 61]

Hi are the little spaghetti worms a rusty or reddish color they may be hair worms (cirratulid worms) good for your tank.

 

[Miller535]

Have you ever seen a crown on any of them?

Those larger things you have circled in the picture above are just harmless sponges.

I do not think sponges, he said the move around the tank.

 

[Double monti 61]

P.S. these are what small feather dusters look like

 

[KrisReef]

Cluster dusters, filter feeders, not a problem except that they seem to be exploding in your tank.

 

[Double monti 61]

Love them!

 

[Kalurex]

thanks all for the feedback. “Exploding” is an understatement lol it’s like I have a tank specifically for them. They may be good for the tank but I don’t want that many. and those feather dusters are adorable but I don’t think these are them. I just don’t want them overcrowding my coral and they’re starting to cover my zoas. I’m going to see if I can just scrape them off but tbh I don’t want whatever those things are all over my arm lol

 

[Kalurex]

Also no, they are not rusty. Both specimens look milky white/translucent to me. Maybe the larger ones move.. idk. Quarantine is doing a number on my mind... lol.

 

[Miller535]

What are your nutrient levels?

 

[Double monti 61]

They are small and do not seem to inhibit my coral growth

 

[Double monti 61]

Never saw that many small worms like that do you have any clean up crew or fish maybe they are a good food for them?

 

[sp1187]

P.S. these are what small feather dusters look like

my tank was loaded with way smaller than those. (I had those pictured also)
the ones I had were tan in color and the tubes were almost needle thin.
I bought a small copperband butterfly and he's cleaned them up nicely.
these are what's left,in my sump, on a MarinePure Bio Block.

 

[Kalurex]

I don’t have much of a cleanup crew right now other than my shrimp... a clown and yellow tang are the sole inhabitants.

Update: going to do a water change today and seE if that helps. Attaching new pics... whatever those “sponges” are have reproduced and just look creepy... scrubbed the worm looking things off but I think they just relocated elsewhere lol.