Weird Worm Thing?
 

Hey guys,

so for the past two months or so I've taken note of this creature in my tank that is unfamiliar to me.

Its hard to explain but basically a tube has slowly been growing in my tank off of a rock. Its probably 2 inches in length at least on the exterior of the rock and who knows how much deeper into the rock. Its now half covered in coralline algae though. Within this tube, which has the diameter of the smiley faces when I post, so about this big :question:, is a worm of some sort.

It barely sticks out, if at all. It has two antennae and out of its mouth it creates a type of web almost. Sometimes it will shoot almost like one strand across to another rock and other times there'll be a lot of this web swaying in the wind just below, as if it didnt attach across the way.

Im not sure if its using the web to filter feed or what, but its a weird creature and its tube grows a mm every week probably.

Anyone encounter anything like this and knows what it is?

Ok after watching it for a while, it definitely casts its web or net our to the adjacent rock that is about 3-4 inches away and then collects debris in the water for 5 minutes or so and then reels the whole web back in. It then occasionally will shoot out a puff of "smoke" or sediment I suppose after eating the food.

Obviously the worm is a filter feeder but Im just interested in it. Anyone know what it is?

Vermatid Snail.

Actually abit of a pest as it will cast it's web out across corals and such.

Hi,

That would be a vermetid snail.

Can be a real pest when they multiply and the mucous net can annoy some corals.

I normally plug the end with putty.

Hope this helps.

Simon.

EDIT: Carmen beat me to it..! +1 on Vermetid Snail..

Ive notice this in my tank too! The web can get pretty big too! How do you rid this guy?

Use marine putty and plug the end. Once it goes hard the snail is stuck; unless it finds another way out; which hasn't happened yet!

Works for me.:biggrin:

Nice and simple! I like that:biggrin:

Cheers

haha too bad! Hes pretty cool. Im gonna leave him for a bit until he causes problems since I like him. I dont have enough corals near him yet for him to be a problem.

they get huge and start spreading. get rid of them asap, i had a battle with them under a sps colony last sumer

All you want to know about these guys by the expert on such things, Ron Shimek.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rs/index.php

Summary good guys unless they really spread. Hermit crabs eat them if that is the case.
The mucus on their threads does not harm corals but corals and other stuff feed on the mucus.

I agree with you. Leave them alone unless you see them multiplying too much and than get a hermit crab or two.

So THATS what they are! I have alot of them. They cut my hands to shreds when Im handling the LR. Clog plumbing etc. Just a nusance really. I have 2 hermits, but never noticed them going for them? I'll have to look more often I guess.

I always think it's a shame when people over react to such cool invertebrates in their tank because intentional livestock (fish and corals) is only a third of the fun for me. Especially the relatively harmless ones; vermetids rarely cause any significant problems. a 2 inch vermetid is not something you see every day in captivity (the small 1/4 inch guys are far more common) and I'd be interested to see how it does. I think they're pretty cool.

... but on the other hand I find copepods fascinating, so I suppose I don't represent the majority of the population.

You're a lot like me. I like a lot of the micro details in my tank, such as my vermatid. I have some of the smaller variety too, but never really see them shooting their web out.

I also find different pods to be interesting haha.