Unknown nuisance - help ID

[Charles]

Anyone know what these are and how to get rid of them? They are hard tubes that don’t break off. Spiny/pokey when grabbing the rock. White hair-like protrusions that come out under blue light. Some are growing on the base of a hammer and a torch. Turbo snails won’t go over them.

 

[Dan_P]

Anyone know what these are and how to get rid of them? They are hard tubes that don’t break off. Spiny/pokey when grabbing the rock. White hair-like protrusions that come out under blue light. Some are growing on the base of a hammer and a torch. Turbo snails won’t go over them.

Please post photo under white light.

 

[blecki]

Can't see a thing in the pictures, but hard tubes + "white hair" sounds like vermetid snails. Are broken tubes razor sharp? Tube often forms a little coil at the base?

 

[Charles]

Please post photo under white light.

This is with white lights on.

 

[jabberwock]

This is with white lights on.

That looks like ALOT of vermetid snails. I am not sure how to handle that...

 

[blecki]

Yep, vermetids.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I'm going to link you this thread, should give you some tips on how to deal with them.

 

[Dan_P]

This is with white lights on.

Thanks, this helps.

I think you got your answer on the white tubes. Here are some additional observations around the white tubes

There are no filaments visible in the first picture of the green growth but rather a film-like covering This looks like cyanobacteria. The other photos seem to show the green skin/film/slime and maybe some other micro algae.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Anyone know what these are and how to get rid of them? They are hard tubes that don’t break off. Spiny/pokey when grabbing the rock. White hair-like protrusions that come out under blue light. Some are growing on the base of a hammer and a torch. Turbo snails won’t go over them.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Get you some bumble bee snails, quite a few of them. Those are definitely Vermitid snails.