Strange Worm Critter Slerping Coral Foods

[hunterallen40]

Hello! I've got a strange hitchhiker on a zoa rock I got. Noticed it this morning when I was feeding my corals some reefroids.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nzfTw5MGDEtZ4vP5A

It looks like some sort of filter feeding worm, but I'm curious which type. Apologies for the poor quality video, but it's not much easier to see in person haha.

 

[Glass Algae]

Hello! I've got a strange hitchhiker on a zoa rock I got. Noticed it this morning when I was feeding my corals some reefroids.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nzfTw5MGDEtZ4vP5A

It looks like some sort of filter feeding worm, but I'm curious which type. Apologies for the poor quality video, but it's not much easier to see in person haha.

Looks like it's headbanging in the video

Does it have multiple worms coming out of the same opening? If so sphagetti worm is possible.

 

[elysics]

That's a barnacle

 

[hunterallen40]

@elysics thanks! That's absolutely what it is.

Now the obvious next question... Should I remove them from the rock? I'm leaning towards no at the moment, but not sure how quickly they'll reproduce.

 

[Goaway]

@elysics thanks! That's absolutely what it is.

Now the obvious next question... Should I remove them from the rock? I'm leaning towards no at the moment, but not sure how quickly they'll reproduce.

These normally don't live long. And if it does it's, safe where it is. It wont hurt anyone. I normally remove them if they are irritating corals. Normally lps like hammers and frogspawns.

 

[Tired]

Barnacles don't usually reproduce in aquariums, because they practice internal fertilization and have to be close to each other to breed. They also tend to starve relatively quickly.

It looks strange because it's a highly modified crustacean, reaching a feeding appendage out of a little shell to grab for food. Too bad they tend to die off quickly, they're neat animals. You could try feeding it Reef Roids directly, to see if you can help it survive.

 

[hunterallen40]

You could try feeding it Reef Roids directly, to see if you can help it survive.

Yeah, it likely gets that anyway because I feed all my corals frequently. I've had the rock a couple of months, just never really noticed them. Very cool creatures indeed.

 

[Tired]

Be sure you're feeding the corals directly, and not just broadcasting the food. Reef Roids will get you nice growth, but they'll also get your nutrients way too high if you scatter too much of it around the tank. Make a slurry out of the roids and apply them directly to the corals, so only a little bit goes floating around.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Barnacles tend not to live long in the aquarium and their reproduction method does not lend itself to becoming a weed in the tank. Harmless unless obviously bothering something and zoanthids are not usually that thing. I would enjoy this cool little critter while you can but not worry about it.