Tube worms or hydroids?

[H2OSidhe]

Matt,

The last time I had trouble IDing something in my tank, you had the answer. So I hope you can help me this time. Which is this, tube worm or hydroid?

tubes when retracted:

I may try to dissect one out of the tube & look at it under the scope if nobody can tell by the pic.

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

Definitely hydroids. You'll notice the tubes are "bendy" for lack of a better term. They won't snap like a tubeworm's calcium based shell. The tube of hydroids is protein based. They're pretty easily controlled by simply ripping them off the rock. IME they don't spread throughout the tank like Aiptasia does.

Good luck!

 

[H2OSidhe]

Thanks Matt. You are still the man. Miss you on RC.

 

[H2OSidhe]

Matt,

Another question about the hydroids: I plucked them with tweezers, wiping the tweezer onto a paper towel after I plucked each one. Then I scraped the live rock where they had been attached with the tweezer blade & then covered the area on the rock with kalk paste. It took them 6 weeks, but they are back - looking like I never bothered them! The sponge below them hasn't grown back yet. I also have some on rocks that I can't possibly reach. Someone mentioned (in another forum) that she thinks she is controlling hydroids with Berghia (in process of confirming that). Do you know if Berghia will eat hydroids?

Another person asked me why I want to be rid of them. I can't prove that they are responsible, but something in my tank has stung me badly & I seem to be getting a worse reaction each time. In medical school they teach us next-to-nothing about treating patients who come in with tank-related-injuries, so I don't want to push my luck with getting stung. I have visions of trying to educate the ER doc while I am needing emergency care - I just don't want to go there!

Advice please?

Thanks!

 

[H2OSidhe]

Double checked with the source & 1) she has a different species of hydroid and 2) she is not sure if Berghia is the reason the hydroid population is thinning.

 

[Anonymous]

Matt,

Another question about the hydroids: I plucked them with tweezers, wiping the tweezer onto a paper towel after I plucked each one. Then I scraped the live rock where they had been attached with the tweezer blade & then covered the area on the rock with kalk paste. It took them 6 weeks, but they are back - looking like I never bothered them! The sponge below them hasn't grown back yet. I also have some on rocks that I can't possibly reach. Someone mentioned (in another forum) that she thinks she is controlling hydroids with Berghia (in process of confirming that). Do you know if Berghia will eat hydroids?

Hmm, I've never heard that. I suppose it's possible. I wouldn't suggest using Berghia to control these. Berghia seem to just dissappear for a lot of people, whether it's due to fish predation, getting lost in the rock, etc.

Try ripping them off again and then epoxy over them maybe? Have they spread to any other areas?

Another person asked me why I want to be rid of them. I can't prove that they are responsible, but something in my tank has stung me badly & I seem to be getting a worse reaction each time. In medical school they teach us next-to-nothing about treating patients who come in with tank-related-injuries, so I don't want to push my luck with getting stung. I have visions of trying to educate the ER doc while I am needing emergency care - I just don't want to go there!

Advice please?

Thanks!

Get some gloves! Get a box of disposables, or even a pair of dishwashing gloves. There are all sorts of nasty nasty things on LR that can get ya good.