A few newcomers

Twitch

I haven't been paying much attention to my tank for a while and tonight I decided to lay down in front of it and just look at the rocks. I noticed a little white thing attached to one of my rocks. It wasn't there when I got the rock so it must be a hitchhiker that has come about in the past month or so.



Also, the little critter that has been in my tank since the beginning is getting bigger and I saw at least two of them a few weeks ago. One of them is bigger, or at least it seems that way. It used to be clear, hardly visable. When I saw it tonight, it had a defined red line down its back. What could it be?

Twitch

Nobody knows? I was told by the LFS that it is a tube worm and harmless.

Cody

If it was a Tube Worm, you should/would see little white appendages/"arms" coming out from the head.

I'm not sure on the red line thing. Let me do some research.

Twitch

I saw a small wiggly thing coming out of it the other day. I have more live rock and those have tube worms on them but they are a bit different. Their tubes are smooth where this one is bumpy and the worms are different.

MattD

Did the tentacle protrusions look something like these extensions?

Cody

If it was that, that is a spaghetti worm. Tube Worms have only 2 arms. But, both the arms and body are the same length and color. Resemble anything?

MattD

Yeah I didn't want to suggest it being a spaghetti worm right away, because chances are it's simply a tube worm. They are common hitchhikers and really aren't anything to worry about.

I think you'll be surprised at their resiliency and versatility. They can relocate around the rock rather quickly if their opening is covered in some way or another.

Cody

Yeah, I have probably 2 or 3 spaghetti worms, and like 5 or 6 Tube Worms as hitchhikers. Interesting little guys. I do know they are harmless, but I have heard they can really make zoas/polyps mad if the arms are over them constantly.

Twitch

I only saw one wiggly arm but there could have been two. It was hard to see because I was looking down into the tank. The extension did look like one from that picture, but again, there was only one. I haven't seen it since, but the white tube is still there.