migs Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I notice this hair like stuff in my 29g biocube... it was coming from everywhere... live rock, sand, etc. I thought it was a human hair but it just broke up when i tried to grab it. A one point, the aquarium was covered with it, then it all started breaking off and disappearing... what is this stuff? is it a spaghetti worm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barderer Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 there are some worms that put out a string of slime to catch prey coming by. That could be it. Follow the strings to their source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migs Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 I followed them... they went to several different spots... even what look to be bare rock. The strange thing is now they are all gone. At one point, it looked like there were over 15 different hair like things in the water... now they are all gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 These are form polychaete worms that bore in rocks and can also bore in the shell of a clam. When there's food particulates in the water they throw their filamentous web like strings to capture their food. Watch around feeding time and you will find where they are. I personally don't care for them since they shown on my clam and we carefully pry them off w/ needle nose pliers. Anything that bores in the clam shell is too risky to leave it there, so we just remove them. This worms can camouflage w/ the rock.....they build a calcerous tube-like shell. HTH -Cindy- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migs Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Ah... I think that sounds like what I have... down to the tube like structure in some places... are they dangerous from an aquarium? should i remove them or is there a CUC that eats them? Thank you for the help and info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I really don't know whether they're harmful in the reef aquaria.........and I don't know whether there is or there isn't some creature that will eat them. I found an article, halfway down you will find a photograph of this worm http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rs/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Great article cmanning. I was going to say that they looked like Vermitid snails to me and those are listed in that article as well. A dob of superglue gel over the hole will do the trick as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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