Feather Duster, ID  - 1/31/08
Hello Again,
<Hi there!>
I have leather coral that I have had for about 6 months. It came attached with a small piece of live rock. On the rock came a very small orange colored tube worm (or what I think is a tube worm). Its tube is maybe 2/8th of on inch tall and about as wide. It has a bright orange fan/crown <Pretty!> that is very sensitive to movement. Even walking by triggers it to hide.
<That’s pretty typical for some of these.>
I like it and was wondering if it would multiply.
<Possibly>
Can you identify it from this description?
<Unfortunately, no. Does sound like a little feather duster of some sort, though. Please see the photos at this link for comparison and more information:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feather.htm >
Thanks as usual...
FJ
<You’re very welcome! Take care. –Lynn>

Invert ID Spiral Tube Feather Dusters (Spirorbis spp.)   1/3/08
Hi Crew !
<Hi Lisa! Mich here.>
I am a new Reef tank keeper,
<Welcome to the salty world!>
I still do not have much in my tank yet
<Good. Is best to go slow.>
only few damsels
<Mmm, you may end up with just one winner.>
and a cool yellow stripe maroon clown
<Not the best fish to have this early in the process. They tend to be bullies and can make the introduction of new fish near impossible.>
with an anemone
<Oh, I really wish you didn't have the anemone. They are not beginner animals. Anemones really shouldn't be kept in a tank that is less than year old. It would be best to find a more appropriate home for the anemone and perhaps the yellow striped maroon. More here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/anemones.htm >
and some peppermint shrimp
<OK.>
and a sally crab.
<Not a fan... too predatory....>
I love to look for life on the live rock and discovered several ?fans?
<Yes, likely so.>
look like tiny daisies about the size of a pinhead. They do retract when touched and retract when the lights are out. I have about 6 so far on one of the rocks. do you know what they are?
<Yes, sounds like Spiral tube feather dusters (Spirorbis spp).>
Lisa
<Mich>

What is this tiny creature? A Spionid/Chaetopterid worm! - 12/23/07
<Hi Lisa.>
I purchased some live rock and one of the pieces had what looks like a two armed anemone. It lives in a tube made up of the fine sand in my tank attached to the rock.
<These are neat little creatures. They live in tubes of hardened mucus, complete with cemented on bits of substrate/shell, sand grains, etc. The mucus part isn't too appealing to me, but hey, it's their castle! See this photo of one in my tank for comparison (sorry, it’s not the best photo, but you get the idea): http://wetwebfotos.com/usermedia/high/0/2470_62.jpg>
It will send out these translucent arms about an inch long searching for food.
<Yep, those are called “peristomial palps”, most often shortened to “palps”. What you have sounds like either a Spionid/Hair worm, or a Chaetopterid worm. Both are similar in that they construct/live in a tube, have two characteristic hair-like feeding “tentacles”, and are generally harmless little detritivores/particulate feeders.>
They don't seem to hurt anything,
<For the most part, no. The exception is if they’re within/near a colony of zoanthids. Continual contact with those flailing little palps can sometimes irritate, causing them to stay closed/decline.>
but they have spread out over the other rocks now. So far they are not on the glass or in the sand without being attached to the rock.
<Okay.>
My tank size is 65gl. I have 5 peppermint shrimp, 2 hermit crabs, 2 sally crabs, 2 cleaner clams, a few damsels, and a Maroon yellow strip clown fish. So far it does not seem as though the peppermint shrimp are eating them or the hermit crabs.
<Noticed the same in my tank. Maybe there’s just more readily available/appealing food about?>
Any suggestions on getting rid of them and do you know what they are??
<No need to remove unless they become too numerous/encroach on a coral, or irritate it. Please see these links for more info, as well as WWM via search engine:
Spionids: http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/1197/1197_1.html
Chaetopterids: http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0897/0897_5.html>
Lisa
<Take care –Lynn>

Encrusting Calcium Worms
Hello Crew,<Howdy!>
I recently added a nice piece of Fiji rock to my tank, has sprouted some sea squirts coco worms and some clam or oyster, perhaps a scallop as it is still small and clear hard to tell.<Awesome!>
What I am wondering about is I have noticed from time to time what appears to be sand or small round particles being ejected from the rock. I now have what appears to be small white curls growing on the back and sides and now on the front of my aquarium, They are really tiny and only with the use of a magnifying glass was I able to tell they curled.  any ideas of what this may be as I do not even know what to look for in a search.<I call them encrusting calcium worms because I can't remember the real name for them.  They are harmless and are a common sighting in most aquariums.>
also if you know what they are? should I be concerned?<See above! No need for concern.  Cody>
Thanks, Drew

Tube Worms  2/11/07
Hi,
<Hi Adrian, Pufferpunk here.>
I've a 55 gal tropical saltwater reef and fish tank.  In the past couple months, I noticed a lot of tiny, 0.5 cm, white tubes protruding from the live rocks.  What are they?  Do I need to worry?
<Those are tiny tube/feather duster worms.  Beneficial filter feeders.  
See: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feather.htm~PP>
Thx, Adrian