Black and white needles on live rock

[ryanwong21]

Hi so I’m cycling my tank and today I just realised that these black and white needles(?) have appeared on certain spots of some of my live rock. I’m wondering if anyone knows what they are and if I should be worrying about them? The tank is still cycling. Thanks

 

[P-Dub]

Likely some sort of tubeworm and probably harmless, I'm guessing though. Can you get a close-up macro shot?

 

[ryanwong21]

I’m sorry but erm I don’t have a better camera than my iPhone so that’s the best shot I hv lol. But thanks for your idea! I’ll definitely look into tubeworms. My parents were so hellbent on boiling the live rock but luckily I’ve managed to reason with them. They were so worried it was hair algae.

 

[P-Dub]

I’m sorry but erm I don’t have a better camera than my iPhone so that’s the best shot I hv lol. But thanks for your idea! I’ll definitely look into tubeworms. My parents were so hellbent on boiling the live rock but luckily I’ve managed to reason with them. They were so worried it was hair algae.

Can you zoom in?

 

[lelandmarine]

 

[Berlibee]

Or algae starting to grow, don't worry yet. Wait to see how it will develop.

 

[ryanwong21]

Ok so I have an update and at night they seemed to have sucked into the rock. It’s morning now and they’re coming back out. Any ideas?

 

[lelandmarine]

Interesting, dont know what it is but dont think i would be concerned as of yet, not sure what others think

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Never boil live rock. Just please no.

 

[MohrReefs]

What happens when you poke them?

 

[lelandmarine]

What happens when you poke them?

Good question, maybe a video

 

[CMMorgan]

I would not panic. It's good that you are getting outside opinions. I remember thinking that aptasia were baby feather dusters. Now I know better. These just look cool..... keep watching.

 

[lelandmarine]

Any video?

 

[Tired]

NEVER boil live rock. It can release toxins into the air, the rock can burst from water trapped inside, and you'll turn it into rotting dead rock. It's dangerous to you and wastes the money you spent on proper live rock instead of dead rock. It's also cruel to any pain-feeling organisms living in the rock.

Hair algae is inevitable. It comes in on frag plugs, snail shells, anything. Don't nuke anything that looks like it.

Read up on the "ugly stage". You can expect to have a surge of pest algae in a new tank, though live rock means you'll have less of that. Let the ugly stage pass. Don't scrub, don't do huge water changes. Make sure your nitrates and phosphates are both above 0 (no nutrients = dead photosynthetic organisms, including corals), check that your cleanup crew is good, and manually remove any long tufts of hair algae that show up. Let your cleanup crew handle it. Once the tank matures some, the pest algae will be outcompeted by and large by non-pest algae, and will stop showing up.

 

[Tired]

Oh, possible ID: hair worm? Scroll down to Cirratulids. One is pictured poking out of the sandbed that looks a bit like yours. Perhaps your variety is one that lives in the rocks.

Worm Hitch Hikers

The identification of Worms found within live rock and live sand

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