Long shot ID...

[ChoxRox]

So, I couldn't get a clear picture, and I couldn't really pinpoint where it came from but... It seems that something keeps "puffing" (jetting??) out a white stringy substance in my tank. Sometimes it gets on my corals, but it does not really seem to bother them. I cannot see what is doing it... but I was wondering if anyone has any idea what it could be?

Since nothing is obviously bothered, I'm not worried, just curious! Thanks!

 

[swannyson7]

Possibly spawning? Do you have any pics? Is it dissipating in the water, or remaining as a string? Snails have a tendancy to leave "strings"when spawking that could have been stirred up by your powerheads.

 

[ChoxRox]

Possibly spawning? Do you have any pics? Is it dissipating in the water, or remaining as a string? Snails have a tendancy to leave "strings"when spawking that could have been stirred up by your powerheads.

I will try my best to catch a pic next time. A video might be easier.
It does dissipate, or at least break up, in the water. But I DO see it on the corals/rock. I think I've seen snail "strings", and it's not exactly like that (I'm thinking of the zig zag things they leave on my glass) but it is possible!
The one thing that is throwing me off is that is seems to... jet or propel out of a spot in my live rock, in a way that seems unlikely to be stirred up by my power head (but again, could be possible, or maybe knocked by a fish??)

 

[swannyson7]

When corals spawn, it tends to look more like "smoke" dissipating in the water and it's usually introduced to the water column in a jet-like fashion

 

[ChoxRox]

Hmmm... do you know which corals spawn like this? It came from a rock full of zoas.

 

[Trex]

While this is an anemone, and a lot larger, does it look similar? (( yours on a smaller scale )). There are numerous things -- including worms -- that live in your life rock (( or the rock that your corals are on )) that spawn.

 

[ChoxRox]

No.. it doesn't exactly look like that.
Ugh. I wish I could just quickly snap a picture!

Anyway, it's more "stringy". As in, you can see the seperate strings, and there are usually only maybe 4 strings. There are some stuck on the rock, actually. My iPhone won't pick it up, but I will snap some tomorrow with my real camera.

 

[Ryan2112]

I've seen the smoke looking stuff in my tank also 1 being from my mandrain when he has pecked at a rock 2nd was today looked just like the pic above but was smaller could not figure out where it keep coming from. But it wasn't from the mandrain.

Wonder if your seeing the feeding string from a tube worm.

 

[GratefulReef]

I had an urchin do the "smoke" thing in my tank once, I didnt get any babies though =( I really have no idea what the stringy stuff is, seems like spawning material though of some sort.

 

[ChoxRox]

I've seen the smoke looking stuff in my tank also 1 being from my mandrain when he has pecked at a rock 2nd was today looked just like the pic above but was smaller could not figure out where it keep coming from. But it wasn't from the mandrain.

Wonder if your seeing the feeding string from a tube worm.

I tried googling a good pic of a tube worm string, but I couldn't. Do those break up in the water?

Edit: I do have a lot of feather dusters, so it is very possible that this is it!