what the heck is this and how do i kill it?

[Reefkeepers Archive]

For some context, a month or two back I picked up a nice zoa rock, which was wild caught. The coral has been doing great, though just yesterday I noticed this

If you can't see that's some sort of feeding arm coming off the rock. This thing is massive, around 12 inches is the biggest I saw it, every time I see it I pull it off but then it's back a few hours later. I've also been seeing tube like structures around my tank made of loose sand, this guy sometimes has them wrapped around himself. I've seen the tubes for awhile but this is the first time seeing this (worm) and I don't know how I missed it and if it just grew. Anyway last night I freshwater dipped it many times, even had to remove a polyp to try and get to it, even glued up the hole that I thought it was coming out of, though it's back again today. I'm sure it's not a kind of coeloplana as I've delt with those before. Is it part of the Clam on the rock, as I don't know what else it could be

 

[MnFish1]

maybe I'm blind but I don't see a 12 inch thing.can you send an actual picture

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I can't tell from the pic, but if there's just one tentacle, then I'd guess a spoon worm (Echiuran); if there are two tentacles, then I'd guess some kind of Spionid or Chaetopterid worm.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

maybe I'm blind but I don't see a 12 inch thing.can you send an actual picture

Not fully open in photo

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I can't tell from the pic, but if there's just one tentacle, then I'd guess a spoon worm (Echiuran); if there are two tentacles, then I'd guess some kind of Spionid or Chaetopterid worm.

Would those be harmful to a reef environment, did some research, apparently my tank is infested with the tubes they make. Though any idea why this one is abnormally large?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Would those be harmful to a reef environment, did some research, apparently my tank is infested with the tubes they make. Though any idea why this one is abnormally large?

Steroids?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Steroids?

Reef-roids!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Would those be harmful to a reef environment, did some research, apparently my tank is infested with the tubes they make. Though any idea why this one is abnormally large?

Spionids and Chaetopterids are generally harmless (unless they’re boring through corals in large numbers). The abnormally large one may be a particularly large species, or something else altogether (like a spoon worm or something).

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Spionids and Chaetopterids are generally harmless (unless they’re boring through corals in large numbers). The abnormally large one may be a particularly large species, or something else altogether (like a spoon worm or something).

Don't think it's a spoon worm, it has 2 feeders out

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Don't think it's a spoon worm, it has 2 feeders out

Yeah, based on your new pic, I don’t think it’s a spoonworm either.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Yeah, based on your new pic, I don’t think it’s a spoonworm either.

I (thankfully) don't think it's harmful as it's feeding arms aren't sticky to the touch, also noticed something similar coming out the other side and into a crevice in the rock, I think these things are what have been creating the sand tubes all over my aquarium, they're constructed overnight and I once saw one made out of GFO from my sump lol

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Yeah, based on your new pic, I don’t think it’s a spoonworm either.

Here's a new/better photo. Shows both feeding arms, my nemenzophyllia seems to be unaffected by it as it was almost touching and I guarantee they have touched before.

 

[Lavey29]

There are some sponges that have tentacles too. I have one in my zoa patch.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Yeah, based on your new pic, I don’t think it’s a spoonworm either.

UPDATE: I was wrong. Whatever this is it has alot more than 2 arms.

Best next course of action? If it's harmful I want to remove it, really don't want to go through the hassle of re-gluing the rock if I freshwater dip it, but also don't want to run the risk of me spreading it like aptasia if I manually remove it.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Not fully open in photo

Well, it looks like you have a few things going on in this photo. I see a bivalve siphon and a feather duster

 

[shcrimps]

UPDATE: I was wrong. Whatever this is it has alot more than 2 arms.

Best next course of action? If it's harmful I want to remove it, really don't want to go through the hassle of re-gluing the rock if I freshwater dip it, but also don't want to run the risk of me spreading it like aptasia if I manually remove it.

single arm makes me think hydroid (don’t remember the name of them) but i’ve got them and they just wave around at night not doing much, multiple arms sounds like spaghetti worm
generally good if it’s that just cause they like to clean up but they can bother zoas sometimes

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Well, it looks like you have a few things going on in this photo. I see a bivalve siphon and a feather duster

Yep. That's what you get when you buy wild caught zoas.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Best next course of action? If it's harmful I want to remove it, really don't want to go through the hassle of re-gluing the rock if I freshwater dip it, but also don't want to run the risk of me spreading it like aptasia if I manually remove it.

If you're not seeing issues, then it's probably harmless. That said, if you can get clearer pics of the arms/tentacles, that might help with an ID.

 

[DJF]

I see a bunch of food for a coral banded shrimp or the like if you want to handle naturally.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I see a bunch of food for a coral banded shrimp or the like if you want to handle naturally.

Definitely! I've been trying to get one, though this tank is supposed to be a region specific setup and it's hard finding one from Australia...