new creature

[TekCat]

Today I saw a few new creatures coming out of LR. They are hair-thin white
about half of an inch worm looking creatures. They are quite active. They
appear out of LR, twist a bit, and then retract back. Anyone knows what they
are? Are they harmless?

Question. Can I add fish and/or some detrivores to my high Alk and pH tank?
(pH 8.5, dKH 15) Or should I wait?

[Wayne Sallee]

Yes they are harmless.

Sounds from your description, like spagettii worms.
see
http://www.google.com/images?svnum=100&hl=en&newwindow=1&q=+%22spaghetti+worm%22&spell=1

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



TekCat wrote on 12/2/2005 4:59 PM:
> Today I saw a few new creatures coming out of LR. They are hair-thin white
> about half of an inch worm looking creatures. They are quite active. They
> appear out of LR, twist a bit, and then retract back. Anyone knows what they
> are? Are they harmless?
>
> Question. Can I add fish and/or some detrivores to my high Alk and pH tank?
> (pH 8.5, dKH 15) Or should I wait?
>
>

[TekCat]

The only thing I saw were the tenticals-looking things coming from different
parts of LR. But never saw the body of the worm. Could it be somethings
else?



"Wayne Sallee" > wrote in message
...
> Yes they are harmless.
>
> Sounds from your description, like spagettii worms.
> see
> http://www.google.com/images?svnum=100&hl=en&newwindow=1&q=+%22spaghetti+worm%22&spell=1
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>

[Wayne Sallee]

Did you look at the pictures? The worm stays in the rock,
and the tetnticals come out for food.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



TekCat wrote on 12/2/2005 5:23 PM:
> The only thing I saw were the tenticals-looking things coming from different
> parts of LR. But never saw the body of the worm. Could it be somethings
> else?
>
>
>
> "Wayne Sallee" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Yes they are harmless.
>>
>>Sounds from your description, like spagettii worms.
>>see
>>http://www.google.com/images?svnum=100&hl=en&newwindow=1&q=+%22spaghetti+worm%22&spell=1
>>
>>Wayne Sallee
>>Wayne's Pets

>
>
>

[miskairal]

I've had them start to appear as well in the last few days and there are
also some extremely thin (hair thin as you said) worm type things that
are quite long, maybe 10cm (4")that are in amongst some of the hair
algae and appear to be veeeeery sloooooowly moving amongst it.

TekCat wrote:
> Today I saw a few new creatures coming out of LR. They are hair-thin white
> about half of an inch worm looking creatures. They are quite active. They
> appear out of LR, twist a bit, and then retract back. Anyone knows what they
> are? Are they harmless?
>
> Question. Can I add fish and/or some detrivores to my high Alk and pH tank?
> (pH 8.5, dKH 15) Or should I wait?
>
>

[Giganews]

Sounds like this could be the arms of a brittle star. I have them in the LR
in my tank. As long as they are small they are safe, it is when they get
large that is the problem.

"TekCat" > wrote in message
...
> Today I saw a few new creatures coming out of LR. They are hair-thin white
> about half of an inch worm looking creatures. They are quite active. They
> appear out of LR, twist a bit, and then retract back. Anyone knows what
> they are? Are they harmless?
>
> Question. Can I add fish and/or some detrivores to my high Alk and pH
> tank? (pH 8.5, dKH 15) Or should I wait?
>
>

[Wayne Sallee]

I have not heard of large brittle stars being a broblem.
Serpent stars (sometimes confused with brittle stars),
like to make a place for the fish to sleep, and then rap
them up and eat them.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Giganews wrote on 12/8/2005 3:00 PM:
> Sounds like this could be the arms of a brittle star. I have them in the LR
> in my tank. As long as they are small they are safe, it is when they get
> large that is the problem.
>
> "TekCat" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Today I saw a few new creatures coming out of LR. They are hair-thin white
>>about half of an inch worm looking creatures. They are quite active. They
>>appear out of LR, twist a bit, and then retract back. Anyone knows what
>>they are? Are they harmless?
>>
>>Question. Can I add fish and/or some detrivores to my high Alk and pH
>>tank? (pH 8.5, dKH 15) Or should I wait?
>>
>>
>
>
>

[Timcat]

You know, I am amazed at how much a person can learn about the nasty habits
of some critters when reading these posts...like serpent stars. I have yet
to see any such dangers mentioned when looking through catalogs and online
stores. I'm still researching what animals I want in my 90 gal tank when I
get it set up, so these tidbits are valuable to someone like me. I fell
victim to this problem when I had my last freshwater tank years ago, so it
helps...believe me!

Tim

"Wayne Sallee" > wrote in message
...
>I have not heard of large brittle stars being a broblem. Serpent stars
>(sometimes confused with brittle stars), like to make a place for the fish
>to sleep, and then rap them up and eat them.
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>
>
>
> Giganews wrote on 12/8/2005 3:00 PM:
>> Sounds like this could be the arms of a brittle star. I have them in the
>> LR in my tank. As long as they are small they are safe, it is when they
>> get large that is the problem.
>>
>> "TekCat" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>>Today I saw a few new creatures coming out of LR. They are hair-thin
>>>white about half of an inch worm looking creatures. They are quite
>>>active. They appear out of LR, twist a bit, and then retract back. Anyone
>>>knows what they are? Are they harmless?
>>>
>>>Question. Can I add fish and/or some detrivores to my high Alk and pH
>>>tank? (pH 8.5, dKH 15) Or should I wait?
>>>
>>>
>>
>>