Hair Like Strands Help

SearchN · Jan 10, 2016

Hello
I have a 5.5 gal nano tank that's about a month old now, live rock/sand. I started to notice white/clear mucus looking strands attached to my live rock about a week or so ago. They stretch out into the water catching particles and then retract. A search doesn't result with anything fitting the description of what these might be. There seems to be two different types. One type is on the live rock and on my snail shell they look like a small yellow/cream colored volcano. The little volcano sways and is not hard like the Vermetid snail pictures and description, they seem to be stationary. Are they juveniles perhaps?
The second type I saw briefly this morning, this one definitely moves, I turned the light on and saw the long strands extended from what looked to be a small brownish slimy worm or slug looking thing. It too would retract the strands and was larger than the other type. I went to get a cup of coffee and when I got back, it was gone. This one was on the plastic heater bracket. Neither look like Spionid worms either.

Sorry for not having any pictures, but I don't have a camera that can get a clear enough image.
Thanks for any help, David

twilliard · Jan 10, 2016

Possibly digitate hydroids

Watevadog5 · Jan 10, 2016

Feather dusters ?

twilliard · Jan 10, 2016

Anything like this?

SearchN · Jan 10, 2016

twilliard said:
Anything like this?

No twilliard these look just like the Vermetid or Spionid strands, more wispy, not as thick and no little blobs running along the length.
The base is kinda like a jelly blob with a cone/volcano protruding from it that the strands come out of. The cones can point in different directions, almost as if it can point in the direction it wants to send the strands. Not saying these critters have the intelligence to make such calculations, only to illustrate how they move.

twilliard · Jan 10, 2016

SearchN said:
No twilliard these look just like the Vermetid or Spionid strands, more wispy, not as thick and no little blobs running along the length.
The base is kinda like a jelly blob with a cone/volcano protruding from it that the strands come out of. The cones can point in different directions, almost as if it can point in the direction it wants to send the strands. Not saying these critters have the intelligence to make such calculations, only to illustrate how they move.

Boy that is a new one to me!

SearchN · Jan 10, 2016

Thanks, I'll see if I can get any pics and post them. It would be a lot more easy if you could actually see them. My snail moved closer to the front and they are all lined up his shell. Looks like a row of tee-pees with smoke coming out the tops..lol

Lionfish Lair · Jan 10, 2016

Do they cast outward? Ctenophore?

Lionfish Lair · Jan 10, 2016

Just saw tee pees with smoke....... pineapple sponge?

twilliard · Jan 10, 2016

Shoot some pictures

Lionfish Lair · Jan 10, 2016

Even though it might not be a good picture, maybe the critter is common enough where we just need a kind of idea which direction to go in.

SearchN · Jan 10, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
Just saw tee pees with smoke....... pineapple sponge?

The color is similar to many of the images, but these don't appear to be fuzzy like the pineapples and none of the images had the strands coming out. These tiny things can send out strands 5 or 6+ inches out and can retract completely.