What's on my hermit shell?

[WvAquatics]

I added a few hermits and snails and 9ne hermit has this on his shell. Looks like some type of filter feeder. Has little tenticals that come out

 

[Ron Reefman]

Looks like the start of a vermetid snail tube. Or an old one with the vertical end broken off.

 

[WvAquatics]

Looks like the start of a vermetid snail tube. Or an old one with the vertical end broken off.

Should I remove the hermit or will it stay there on the shell? It has little dusters that come out of the top of the tube

 

[Ron Reefman]

It could be a small feather duster worm which is a beneficial filter feeder and will not harm the snail. That would be nice and kind of cool that it's attached to a snail.

However, if the stuff that comes out is long and stringy, it's the vermetid snail and they are a low level pest. Some reefers hate them and some don't care one way or the other. It won't hurt the snail. If you think it's the vermetid snail, you could pull the bigger snal out and scrape the vermetid snail off the shell.

 

[WvAquatics]

Thanks