Night-Time Mystery Critter

[computom]

I often will watch the action in my reef tank at night (using 2 red
party lights in a 10 gal light hood, rather that the expensive moon
lights and other gadgets, what can I say, I'm cheap but it works!)
Anyways, I have been seeing several things which I have no Idea how to
ID. First, there are what I call "swimming corkscrews" which are
white, spiral shaped tubed about 1/4" long that spiral (or swim?)
their way through the water. the only white tube-like things I see
during the day are small duster worms (which appear all over) and
these corals(?) which are shaped like baseball bats and appear to be
white with a neon green fuzz all over them (these have grown from my
live rock and have spread all over the tank) Neither of these things
really looks like the corkscrews.
The second thing that is really puzzling me are what I call the
"tenticles". these almost look like worms, but they seem to be stuck
in a hole and never come fully out. These guys seem to go from a hair
thickness to about the thickness of a pencil lead, and are coloured
from whitish to brownish, hard to tell under red light. They strech
out far from their hole (up to 3" that I have seen) and appear to take
a bite out of the rock. I see no sign of them during the day exept
the there is sometimes a fine dusty "rubble" around the hole. I have
also seen many small white puffy things which I beleive to be some
king of sea squirt or something, they seem to release themselves at
night to get better placements in the tank, aptaisias (damn them!) do
this too! They're swimmin' all over!
Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!

[Toni]

"computom" > wrote in message
om...
> The second thing that is really puzzling me are what I call the
> "tenticles". these almost look like worms, but they seem to be stuck
> in a hole and never come fully out.




Often these are the arms of microstars. They will take a piece of a meaty
bit if offerred.

Also if the arms are extremely threadlike (almost like a spiderweb) and many
cast out from the same hole they can be spaghetti worms.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/reef.htm

[PaulB]

Probably the larvae of worms spawning. The "tentacles" sound like peanut
worms.

http://rshimek.com/reef/Default.htm


"computom" > wrote in message
om...
>I often will watch the action in my reef tank at night (using 2 red
> party lights in a 10 gal light hood, rather that the expensive moon
> lights and other gadgets, what can I say, I'm cheap but it works!)
> Anyways, I have been seeing several things which I have no Idea how to
> ID. First, there are what I call "swimming corkscrews" which are
> white, spiral shaped tubed about 1/4" long that spiral (or swim?)
> their way through the water. the only white tube-like things I see
> during the day are small duster worms (which appear all over) and
> these corals(?) which are shaped like baseball bats and appear to be
> white with a neon green fuzz all over them (these have grown from my
> live rock and have spread all over the tank) Neither of these things
> really looks like the corkscrews.
> The second thing that is really puzzling me are what I call the
> "tenticles". these almost look like worms, but they seem to be stuck
> in a hole and never come fully out. These guys seem to go from a hair
> thickness to about the thickness of a pencil lead, and are coloured
> from whitish to brownish, hard to tell under red light. They strech
> out far from their hole (up to 3" that I have seen) and appear to take
> a bite out of the rock. I see no sign of them during the day exept
> the there is sometimes a fine dusty "rubble" around the hole. I have
> also seen many small white puffy things which I beleive to be some
> king of sea squirt or something, they seem to release themselves at
> night to get better placements in the tank, aptaisias (damn them!) do
> this too! They're swimmin' all over!
> Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!