Ack what is on my mushroom coral?

tobysmurf · #1 01-23-2013, 07:00 AM

I've managed to be blessed over the past 8 years and have literally never had a major parasite problem in my salt tanks. I just popped this cute mushroom coral into my new DT and thought all was well. Tonight I came by late tonight to feed my sunflower coral and I see creepy crawlies all over my mushroom. I tried to take good pics but they are blurry as heck (sorry I suck at photography). Does anyone have any idea what these are?

Here is a still from the video I shot of it moving around.

I'm hoping I haven't been infected with something nasty...I'm new to LPS and softies (aside from a single leather coral) so I'm hoping these aren't going to be something silly like the worlds creepiest feeder tentacles.

hillegom · #2 01-23-2013, 07:47 AM

They look like bristle worms, but I have never seen a yellow one before.

tobysmurf · #3 01-23-2013, 07:51 AM

I managed so suck one up with my modified turkey baster, it was a worm about 4" long with the yellow bits on each end. They move like lightning so I was only able to slurp up one of the two that I could see on the mushy. I've had bristle worms in my other tank - mine were always grey-brown, never yellow. I think I am gonna declare war on these things just to be safe unless someone tells me that they are a helpful animal to have.

hillegom · #4 01-23-2013, 08:13 AM

bristle worms are good scavengers, part of the cleanup crew. But 4 in is too long for me too.
You could put some food into a piece of nylon stocking. Their feet get tangled in the nylon and in the morning you just pull them out