Long hairy red...uh, I dunno...

[Chucky]

I've noticed that I have very long, very thin 'hairs' in a bunch coming out of my crush'd coral. They seem to wave about in the current in all directions.

Anybody think they know what they might be?

 

[Tackett]

sounds like cyano....I presently have the same problem... Give it a week and you will be pulling out your hair, just like me

 

[ChrisRD]

Crushed coral substrate is notorious for trapping detritus and in-turn leading to nutrient problems (cyano can be a telltale sign of nutrient problems and/or poor circulation) and a lot folks avoid it these days. Like anything, it can be made to work, but you have to clean (syphon) it regularly to keep detritus from building-up.

 

[Anonymous]

Are the "red hairs" there all the time (like some type of cyano) or do they retract (like some kind of animal)?

 

[wade1]

My initial reaction was the same as lawdawg's... spaghetti worm?

 

[Tackett]

Hmmmm...I just assumed it was cyano. could be a spaghetti worm, or baby brittlestars?

 

[Chucky]

I don't think it's any kind of animal; it just doesn't move like one.
A baby brittle star is possible; we had full grown ones - but it doesn't seem to move from where it is.

It's only in the one spot.
I also seem to have a very tiny anemonemone on a live rock - it's greenish, and with many many tiny arms. I hope it isn't a pest species...

 

[Chucky]

Now that I've actually watched the dam thing for a week or so, I'd have to say it's some kind of ANIMAL!
The 'arms' seem to be able to retract or extend to long, thin things - if this is a type of worm, why haven't the hermits eaten them? They sit in the same spot, even tangle up in my tiny feather duster worm's mouth fans, but he doesn't retract into his tube!

Guess I'll go look up 'pissghetti worm'

 

[Tackett]

sounds like a brittlestar to me.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Guess I'll go look up 'pissghetti worm'

good luck with that...{pissghetti - snicker}

Sounds like terebellid worms to me. http://www.nwmarinelife.com/htmlswimmers/t_crispus.html

Note that the tube part is buried and only the red tentacles come out.

 

[Tackett]

well, thats kind of a nifty lookin little thing.

 

[Chucky]

Ya, actually, it DOES look like just the tentacles alone - maybe I've got a baby one. Or it could be a baby ribbon worm...regardless, it seems to me that I don't want the dam thing in my tank, do I?

('pissghetti' is what my brother called it when he was 3.)

 

[Anonymous]

Why would you not want it in your tank? They don't seem to bother anything else and are unlikely to climb out of the tank and strangle you in your sleep

....sorry but those worms always remind me of the el-cheapo 1950's horror movie monsters :lol:

 

[Tackett]

LOL like attack of the killer brain?

 

[Anonymous]

Ya, actually, it DOES look like just the tentacles alone - maybe I've got a baby one. Or it could be a baby ribbon worm...regardless, it seems to me that I don't want the dam thing in my tank, do I?

('pissghetti' is what my brother called it when he was 3.)

Sounds like a spagetti worm. They are very good guys. The more the better. They are dookie eaters. Really, you want them. Probably a Timarete sp.

 

[Chucky]

what the heck is a 'dookie' eater???

If you mean poop, just say '****' !!! (hahahahahahaha)

 

[Anonymous]

Dookie has a certain, flair

 

[Chucky]

go see my next thread "in praise of the saltwater aquarium" - it's inspired by this nice little discussion on WHAT THE HECK IS THAT IN MY TANK?!?!?!?!