Please ID

[zemuss]

I have these tubes all over the tank and think that these things are stinging the coral around them.

Can anyone ID them? They seem to shoot out a string to capture food and like I said I am worried they are harming my Monti cap near by.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

From what I can tell from the pic they aren't string anything. I have a tank full of them and my coral grow around them.

 

[fab1971]

I believe they are hydroids, harmless but not a hundred percent sure if I have the id or name right. let's see who else chimes in.

 

[ritter6788]

Vermitid snails. They cast out a mucus net to feed. I don't have much trouble with the smaller ones but the large ones put out a nasty net that can irritate some corals. I put superglue in the hole if you can get the rock out or I squirt Aiptasia X in the opening and it kills them. The smaller ones can easily be broken off but they are very sharp on the ends.

 

[returnofsid]

Vermetid Snails. They live in those tubes and toss out webs to catch zooplankton/phytoplankton from the water column. They're usually completely harmless though at times the webs can irritate some corals. The one other time that they can become harmful is to your hands. Those tubes are very sharp! I've ripped my hands open, numerous times, on them.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

Vermetid snails. That is what I was thinking.

 

[zemuss]

Ok so it I break them off with a pair of pliars they will not grow back? i have about 50 of them. The monti cap is a digita which when bigger gets the Orange and Green streaks. I don't want to kill it.

 

[Built347]

Vermetid snails. That is what I was thinking.

+1.............

 

[zemuss]

So its as simple as just cutting them or will they grow back?

 

[returnofsid]

If you break them off, they may or may not grow back.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

I have had them poke my fingers more than one time. If all you have is 50 them your in good shape. Lol

 

[Built347]

No kidding. /\ I just moved a large reef to a different tank this week... OUCH! There has to be Several hundred on my rock..

 

[MyReefToYours]

Vermitids will go crazy if there is a lot of food in the water for them to feed, but if not then you shouldn't see too many.

 

[Built347]

Well I am a card carrying member of overfeeders anonymous.. lol..

 

[catran]

No kidding. /\ I just moved a large reef to a different tank this week... OUCH! There has to be Several hundred on my rock..

Yeah, I've gotten rock that took me quite a while to clean. They pretty much covered the entire rock!


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[zemuss]

I just cleaned off about 50 of them... Now filtering water with some filter material. I normally only filter the water during water changes because I stir up a bunch of sentiment that I want out of my tank during the change.

I have not been home for about a year so I have two fights going on, these snails and bubble algae. i am still struggling with SPS and I bought a test piece which I hope survives.

 

[MyReefToYours]

Best of luck!

 

[zemuss]

They are gone and my corals "seem" to be doing well. Monti was having a tissue regression issue but now it appears to be filling in the white spot with new growth. I am so glad I am home and can't wait for the new apt to put up the 40 and tie the systems together.