I recently bought a piece of coral, and there are a few worm-like creatures. They protect their bodies with a shell of coral pebbles. From time to time, I would see their highly elastic arms extend out for every long distance and crawl along the live rocks. the arms look clear. I'm not sure what it is, or if it is harmful to corals or fish. If it is harmful, how do I get rid of it?
2007-12-01 16:32:21 · 4 answers · asked by joe j 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
Possibly a spaghetti worm. These are harmless. They more typically live in holes in the rock, but can make a "shell" of sand from the substrate. See the photo of one under "Terebellidae" in this link: http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/hitchworms.html
2007-12-01 17:09:10 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's hard to say what it is without a picture, but it sounds harmless. It's either a worm, or maybe some micro Brittle Stars. Check out the links below for more pics and info on Brittle Stars.
2007-12-02 10:11:08 · answer #2 · answered by Mars Hill 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hm, I am not sure what it is. Kinda sounds like a barnacle, but don't think barnacles crawl (maybe at a certian point in their life cycle). Perhaps you should ask the people you got the coral from or another specialty store.
2007-12-02 00:40:38 · answer #3 · answered by Cyryen 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
evidently you have a saltwater tank or you wouldnt have got coral,they would die in freshwater and cause a nitrogen problem.depending on a saltwater setup they may be harmless,check with your supplier.
2007-12-02 00:45:53 · answer #4 · answered by Mike 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋