Reef Discussion

Fmxchick

Member
Mar 9, 2017
113
51
Id And Should I Be Concerned
Hi all,
Just wanting to know if I should be concerned about what is growing on my hammer. Noticed these after I dipped it. There are quite a few on it.
TIA

IMG_0271.jpg
 

RobbieMVFC

Member
Feb 25, 2013
1,232
610
My guess , Look like Spaghetti Worm to me
Some people say they are harmless some people say they irritate the corals.
I have a heap in my tank and cannot see any harm but I am no expert on them.
 

Fmxchick

Member
Mar 9, 2017
113
51
My guess , Look like Spaghetti Worm to me
Some people say they are harmless some people say they irritate the corals.
I have a heap in my tank and cannot see any harm but I am no expert on them.
Thank you @RobbieMVFC, I will keep an eye out to see how it goes. Obviously ReVive doesn't work on these.
 

Adam_w

Member
Jul 6, 2016
203
52
I have them as well, but I've never seen them growing straight out of a coral before..

I posted on here about it too when I first found them, apparently it's not much to worry about unless they get out of hand. I read an article that said something about the mucus pestering corals and when they infect a whole reef in the wild it is eventually taken over by algae. In saying that my tank is fine at the moment with them, even have a massive bright orange one growing off the side of my clam
 

Fmxchick

Member
Mar 9, 2017
113
51
Thanks for that @Adam_w.
They don't seem to be worrying the hammer atm but will keep an eye out. These are all the same colour and just don't look very pleasing to the eye.
 

Savage Henry

Member
Feb 2, 2015
653
254
I think they are what I have too. They should end up in your live rock and in your sand. Once they have populated these other areas of your tank, I'd break off the ones near your hammers. You won't need them there and I would even go as far as removing them gently and dropping them in your sand to hopefully live there and not amongst your corals. They are as good as bristle worms in scavenging leftovers. You will occasionally see one detach itself and go flying about the tank to find a new place to settle.

If they are what I think they are, they are not spaghetti worms. However, they are still beneficial as every one says above. They do not leave mucus trails.

HOWEVER! If you see an actual head, like a slug head pop out with two antennas, then they could be another type of worm (which I also have), which are not good. These are the ones that do leave send out mucus trails that annoy corals. However, my ones that do this have more of an orange coloured head to them. If you do have these, kill them! They have benefits, but their disadvantages out weigh their benefits Imo. smash their shells and let your wrasse (if you have any) eat them. They will spread if you don't hit them hard! Also, mine tend to form new ones around my hammers.

The bad ones, i.e. the ones that produce the mucous trails tend to have spiral shells. The shells tend to be orange in colour. They are not the tiny little white spirals your might get with the little red feather duster that comes out (those are OK).