ID parasites?

[kasik64]

What are these red things growing on the rocks? Also I have bristle worms, and these small flea looking things crawling around the rocks. What could those be?

 

[40B Knasty]

They look like feather duster worms. They are filter feeders. It is like a coco worm, but their casing is soft.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yup. Feather dusters.

 

[Roy 9121]

I see a brissle worm, and a astasia star (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) the star I would probably remove if possible, they can get a little obnoxious.

 

[Chefbill]

Nothing wrong with bristle worms. They're harmless detritivors. The flea like things are pods. Again, most species are harmless and provide free fish food (the only food for some fish).

 

[Chefbill]

I see 4 bristle worms in your pic. This may be a sign of over feeding

 

[kasik64]

Thanks everyone! I have significantly cut back feeding over the last month and no changes. May have to rethink feeding techniques. The stars haven’t seemed to cause any harm. I will try my best not to transfer them to my new tank. And of course it didn’t even dawn on me til I really thought about it that those were pods. I have added pods in the past for a dragonet I had that passed away. No one to eat them. Are the feather dusters harmless? I assume so. I have another little blue one growing on the other side of the tank. Must have came with something I added and has grown.

 

[40B Knasty]

Thanks everyone! I have significantly cut back feeding over the last month and no changes. May have to rethink feeding techniques. The stars haven’t seemed to cause any harm. I will try my best not to transfer them to my new tank. And of course it didn’t even dawn on me til I really thought about it that those were pods. I have added pods in the past for a dragonet I had that passed away. No one to eat them. Are the feather dusters harmless? I assume so. I have another little blue one growing on the other side of the tank. Must have came with something I added and has grown.

Feather dusters are harmless. It is just a worm in a soft mucus casing. Sometimes they will pop their filter feeding feathers off and lose the casing and look like a blackish brown earthworm that is looking to regrow.

 

[fragit]

Those feather dusters actually live in a calcareous tube, similar to a snails shell, good score! You can see the white calcium carbonate tube on some of them in your photo.