white strings

[vaperix]

Almost over night this stringy white strands comming off my live rock formed. Its not a worm or anything like that. I would appreciate any help as to what it is.

[lebloom]

Yes, I have this same thing in my tank. Not really sure what is causing it but am thinking that my apstasia was the cause. Now that my peppermints have taken care of the apstasia don't see this anymore. This stuff looks more like a cobweb in a way. Do you have apstasia on your LR?

[ragc]

I had a vermatid snail (non-moving, lives in a tube attached to the rock). It was a hitchiker. Vermatids spin a "web" to trap food, and then periodically suck the web in and extrude it again. The word web is maybe too descriptive for their "trap", as it can be just strands of white, almost invisible (and some invisible) pretty lond threads, without webbing. Here's a photo of mine...notice the web to the right of the animal.

[vaperix]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5452&stc=1
here is a picture of it. It is growing like algae but I have never seen any algae like it.

[mymistygirl]

Looks like a spagetti worm they live in live rock and are harmless

[vaperix]

thanks mymistygirl but its not spagetti worm. I know the picture is realy bad but much of it is almost webby looking and sprouting up in other parts of the tank. It is attached directly to the live rock and does not look like vermatid snail webbing. And no lebloom, I do not have any apstasia in the tank but thanks for your help.

[corbinwelter]

i have the same exact thing, and i came on here last night to search about it and all i found was your post. If somebody could identify this, that would really be helpful. I have found it on 6 different places on my live rock around my tank.

[Dangerdoll]

very hard t see the pic.....like this?
http://www.robertosozzani.it/Komodo/Varie/images/verme01.JPG
http://www.imagequest3d.com/ImageFolio3_files/gallery/aquatic/marine_worms/RGS00044.jpg

[OrionGirl]

lebloom--the worms are not related to the aiptasia--they are gone now because peppermint shrimp will eat them as well as eating aiptasia.

This does sound very much like some type of vermatid. There are a number of worms that build tubes and either have thin appendages or create sticky strings that they 'cast' out to capture food particles.

[Pineapple]

They may be hydroids. If so, they are a pest and can sting neighboring corals.

[vaperix]

My snails found it and have eaten some of it but now it’s growing on a couple of the snails backs. At first I just thought it rubbed off onto them but the white strings seem to now be growing on the snails. It’s pretty funny. It must be some form of algae or plant matter, but I have never seen it before. I'm just curious as to what it is. Thanks for the posts.

[OrionGirl]

Is it thicker than the pcitured stuff? Does it move, or just in the current? Could be a sponge.