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Pest or friend?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Kylie, Sep 24, 2011.

  1. Kylie

    Kylie Inactive User

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    I have noticed in the past few days a strange sort of orange 'thing' living in my sandbed and a few on the glass of my tank. The organisms in the sand bed are a light and dark orange banded color and are shaped like worms (long and thin). However, they don't scoot around the sand like a worm would but rather are attached into the sand bed and extend their lengths out into the water flow. I know they are not just plants by the way they can twist and curl up their 'arms'. I just noticed these today when I got home from work.
    What I had noticed a few days ago was a small, maybe 1/4" long at the most, orange little dude on my glass. He moved along the glass, sticking to it like a snail. But instead of scoot along on a 'foot' like a snail, he would extend a long thin portion of his body and sort of pull himself along. At any one time, he may have multiple apendages. This guy is also orange but not banded like the things in the sand. Now that I'm looking today, I can see two of them on my glass. 
    I have not seen these guys on any corals, clam, or fish. I am worried though that they may be something nasty introduced from something I got at MACNA. Unfortunately, I did not dip any of the corals I got. But again, I have not seen anything crawling/growing on anything except the sand and my glass. 
    Any ideas? A picture is pretty much impossible because my camera is lame and won't focus on the sand or anything on the glass. I'll try googling for a picture but haven't come up with anything so far.
    Please let me know if you have any idea what this may be.
    Thanks,Kylie
     
  2. fishyness

    fishyness Inactive User

    596
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    Hmmm. Not the first I've read about pests on corals from MACNA. Not trying to hijack your thread Kylie, but when I make the switch to the 120 should I dip the corals first????
     
  3. AJ

    AJ Inactive User

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    Hmm...maybe spaghetti worm? They are fine if that's what they are. Having a hard time imagining what it looks like without a picture. Does your camera have a macro mode?

    --AJ
     
  4. AJ

    AJ Inactive User

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    Dipping is typically only from an unknown tank to your tank.  Now, if you have pests that you want to try to kill in the transition, then dipping may be appropriate.  Otherwise, you don't normally dip when doing a tank transfer.
    --AJ
     
  5. Kylie

    Kylie Inactive User

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    I'm looking up spaghetti worm and it seems that's what they are. They match a lot of the pictures. If they are ok, then I'm not concerned. The only thing unfortunately I've found about them is sometimes they can make softies angry by touching them to make them not open their polyps. Haven't seen any near my corals though.

    Is there anything else important you think I should know about a spaghetti worm? Can they hurt my clam's foot at all by being in the sand bed?

    Is there any way these could be baby bristle worms? If so, how can I get rid of them? (I DO NOT want bristles). I'm not seeing any sort of bristle on them though.

     
  6. Kylie

    Kylie Inactive User

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    This is a very close match. Mine don't seem to have as long of tentacles and are more flowing in the current instead of sticking to the sand but this matches color and shape

    http://www.notlehs.com/reef/salt6/spagworm.jpg
     
  7. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    My tank has so many of those i thought i had a break out of hair algae.
     
  8. phishcrazee Experienced Reefkeeper

    Riverside
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    Bristle worms are ok, they are sometimes an issue if a particular one gets very large, but they are just scavengers......
     
  9. vikubz Well-Known ReefKeeper

    734
    Cedar Falls
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    I have had spaghetti worms hang out on the glass before. Mine are a bright green. We could start a spaghetti worm collection!
     
  10. Kylie

    Kylie Inactive User

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    Lol well I have orange!!

    As for bristles, they just freak me out. Had a run in with a giant bristle worm and my middle finger. Let me tell you it is greaking scary to not know you have one in there and then pull you finger put to see it completely covered in bristles. It took me forever to get all of them out. Ick
     
  11. phishcrazee Experienced Reefkeeper

    Riverside
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    Oh I agree, they are totally creepy and yes, they hurt! /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/shocked.gifAfter a few run-ins with them in places I thought they would never be, I always wear rubber gloves when handling rock, filter socks, etc.
     
  12. AJ

    AJ Inactive User

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    Glad I was able to help you figure out what they were.  Spaghetti worms are just fine and while they can irritate softies from time to time, so can just about everything else in your tank.  I've had them ever since I set up my first tank and have never known them to be a problem.
    --AJ
     
  13. Kylie

    Kylie Inactive User

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    That is very good to know
     
  14. Nemesis

    Nemesis Well-Known ReefKeeper

    471
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    I have had spagetti worms before they are really harmless. Look wierd like the thing from tremors but they actually cleaned up my detris.
     

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