Tiny Filter Feeder Showed Up In Tank

[PistachioSkyBird]

Any one know what these are? They are really small so it was hard to get a decent picture. They are on a fairly new tank (it's been up for about 6 months) and the tank currently holds a clown fish pair that are going to be moved to a much larger tank in a week or two. This tank was started with ocean direct live sand and dry Marco rock. The only other thing that was added to the tank was 2 neurite snails that both died with in a week of being put in the tank. That was about 3 months ago.

The creatures seem to have a shell like structure and have a fan like thing sticking out to filter feed.

If they are problematic I really don't want to transfer them to the larger display tank.

 

[Reeflix]

meh, look harmless. i have something like this in my tank, covering the glass

 

[Narideth]

Those are spirorbis worms! They're generally considered good guys, they filter stuff out of the water. It seems to be a preference for looks that decides for people whether they consider them annoying or delightful. They can spawn and replicate, but like any CUC that multiplies, they'll grow or shrink in numbers based on the state of your tank.

 

[fishface NJ]

spiral worms...harmless

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, Spirorbid worms - harmless filter feeders, but they can sometimes grow to huge numbers.

 

[Reef Devils]

Any one know what these are? They are really small so it was hard to get a decent picture. They are on a fairly new tank (it's been up for about 6 months) and the tank currently holds a clown fish pair that are going to be moved to a much larger tank in a week or two. This tank was started with ocean direct live sand and dry Marco rock. The only other thing that was added to the tank was 2 neurite snails that both died with in a week of being put in the tank. That was about 3 months ago.

The creatures seem to have a shell like structure and have a fan like thing sticking out to filter feed.

If they are problematic I really don't want to transfer them to the larger display tank.

Those are good and they can filter you water. Harmless.

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

Thank you!!! This is a tank in my class room. Just another opportunity to teach my students about the awesome things that live in the ocean!!!

 

[Reef Devils]

Thank you!!! This is a tank in my class room. Just another opportunity to teach my students about the awesome things that live in the ocean!!!

You got a full tank pic?

 

[KrisReef]

Thank you!!! This is a tank in my class room. Just another opportunity to teach my students about the awesome things that live in the ocean!!!

Please tell your students that these were hitchhikers that came in with the live sand. The importance of being careful to not move wet items from one ocean to the next, (preventing invasive introductions) is alive in your tank for the students to consider.

30 Years Later: Mussel invasion legacy reaches far beyond Great Lakes | Great Lakes Now

The way J. Ellen Marsden remembers it, when she first suggested calling a new Great Lakes invasive species the quagga mussel, her colleague laughed, so the name stuck. At the same time, it was no laughing matter. The arrival of a second non-native mussel, related to the already established zebra...

www.greatlakesnow.org

Floridas Most Invasive Plants - Plant Management in Florida Waters - An Integrated Approach - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS

plants.ifas.ufl.edu

Caulerpa Species on the West Coast

The genus Caulerpa comprises a group of green algae that can be highly invasive and pose a substantial threat to local marine ecosystems.

www.fisheries.noaa.gov

Here are a few suggestions to improve the mush between their ears as they grow to be good citizen/scientists.

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

You got a full tank pic?

Here is the full tank it's in the back of my classroom next to the RODI. It's an old 30 gallon octagon that another teacher gave me a few years ago. It is currently acting as a holding tank while we are getting the 300 gallon display tank ready. The clownfish are named Frank and Bessie, and they are way more personable than the fresh water fish I'm used to working with ( and more wiggly). Eventually once the 300 gallon is up and running I would like to make this a clown and anemone tank.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Here is the full tank it's in the back of my classroom next to the RODI. It's an old 30 gallon octagon that another teacher gave me a few years ago. It is currently acting as a holding tank while we are getting the 300 gallon display tank ready. The clownfish are named Frank and Bessie, and they are way more personable than the fresh water fish I'm used to working with ( and more wiggly). Eventually once the 300 gallon is up and running I would like to make this a clown and anemone tank.

Pretty neat seeing an octagon tank, don't see those too often

 

[Reef Devils]

Here is the full tank it's in the back of my classroom next to the RODI. It's an old 30 gallon octagon that another teacher gave me a few years ago. It is currently acting as a holding tank while we are getting the 300 gallon display tank ready. The clownfish are named Frank and Bessie, and they are way more personable than the fresh water fish I'm used to working with ( and more wiggly). Eventually once the 300 gallon is up and running I would like to make this a clown and anemone tank.

That is awesome. We had an octagon tank in my science class but it was fresh water.

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

Pretty neat seeing an octagon tank, don't see those too often

It was the other science teachers first aquarium that they bought. I think it is at least 30 years old. I had to repair a few leaks before it would hold water but its working great now.

 

[PistachioSkyBird]

That is awesome. We had an octagon tank in my science class but it was fresh water.

This one was a fresh water tank before I switched it over.