Help! Attack of tiny tube worms.

[hskim]

This is picture I took of the worms at night. They only come out when it is dark when only the moon lights are on.

http://www.pbase.com/hijkim/image/56215165/large.jpg

You can't really tell but those white worm looking things attached to the live rock are tube worms. When I view this picture at full resolution I can see the feathery worms sticking out of the those tiny tubes. The big one in the middle might be some other kind of tube worm or when these tiny tube worms grow up they become one like the big one in the center of the picture.

Should I be worried about these? They spread on the bottom of the live rocks so you really can't tell until you look close. This happened about six month after I added live rocks from Reefer Rocks in Florida. There is couple of some sort of corals growing on these rocks, also. My tank is just live rocks and fish tank.

Is there anyway to get rid of these tube worms?

[BigReefing]

i got then too, but not as many

[Anemonebuff]

I cannot see the pic. However, tube worms are a sign of good water quality. They also help filter feed some of the junk in the water. I don't understand why you would want to kill them.

[hskim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6770401#post6770401 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Anemonebuff
I cannot see the pic. However, tube worms are a sign of good water quality. They also help filter feed some of the junk in the water. I don't understand why you would want to kill them.

There are just too many of them. Bottom of most of the rocks are covered with these tiny tubes. I know they are not a threat but it is real nuance in my tank.

[Gobie]

Get a copper band butterfly that eats at the store this is important most won’t eat. They will eat all your tube worms even if they wont eat food but then they will starve.

[Anemonebuff]

Just breaking them up or snapping them off will work. Arrow crabs eat worms, tube worm included.

[jdav]

No need to worry about them. I've got a ton in my tank and they are fine.......


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y283/jdav/rock4.jpg

[Anemonebuff]

I see the pic now. I think it makes the tank look more natural and interesting.

[jpslickorocks]

I do what I can to promote thier growth. I agree with anemonebuff, they make the tank more interesting

[boxfishpooalot]

I got tons of the kind that have soft tubes. They are such a nuisance! You would be surprised at the poop they make(ditritus) . I find myself having to suck out 4 ouces every 2 days of their poop!

Fwiw, I have no idea how much poop those cacifing one produce. But being they are both worms, id say they are poopin machiens!

[hskim]

I don't know about copper band unless I can borrow one for a month but may be I should get an arrow crab if they eat these worms. Do arrow crabs really eat these worms? My hermit crabs take out few of these but not enough to clean up the tank. I think they just kill them, break them off once in a while.

jdav,
these are not as pretty as yours they are just thin and long white tubes. I don't know if they will grow larger and become more pleasing to look at but now they are just nuance. They only come out when it is dark. I had to wait on hour after the lights went out to take that picture.

[boxfishpooalot]

My clown puffer and valentini puffer eat theese feather dusters a lot! Wich are easyer to feed than a copper band butterfly. You would have more success with a puffer longtivity.