Reef Rock has cobweb looking sutff on it - ???

[CMOS]

Hey All,

I just recently did some minor rearranging in my reef tank and noticed when I moved a second tier rock that the rock under it is partially covered with what looks like, well, a milky whiteish cobweb-looking substance.

What the heck is this, and is it a problem?

Thanks,
CMOS

 

[yote]

I'm guessing that its the webs of vermitid snails.Their harmless for the most part,but the webs can irritate nearby corals and cause them to stay closed.

 

[sen5241b]

Take a turkey baster and blast the rick with water. When I do this the snail's webs come out all over the place. They are filter feeders.

 

[CMOS]

Are these snails visible?


CMOS

 

[yote]

They live in small tubes.So you probably wont actually see the worm itself.But you can see the tubes.

 

[Bifferwine]

Or it may be a sponge. Is it spongy? If so, sponges are safe.

 

[CMOS]

Or it may be a sponge. Is it spongy? If so, sponges are safe.

Not spongy looking. It looks like very finely spun, - "cobweb".

It was under a rock (on top of another), so it was forming under no-light conditions basically.


CMOS

 

[reeffreak]

Then it most likely the webs leftover from a Vermetid snail.In other words,what Yote said.

 

[Ulta]

hmm, whenever something dies in my tank a "Spiderweb" substance always covers it. and it could be like in the middle of my crushed coral too... idk I don't think it would be those snails b/c there are no "tubes" nearby.... I'm thinking it is something that feeds of dead substances. not really sure what tho.... just a thought.

 

[Ulta]

I just had a fish die lately and I left it in there... Currently there is a "Spiderweb" substance encompassing whats left of the fish's body and my gigantic brittle star has to battle through the web to get pieces off the fish.... Lol.

 

[CMOS]

Hmm, interesting. Somewhat of a mystery.

Any other thoughts? Any reason why I should not try to brush off this "cobweb" like substance?


CMOS

 

[Bifferwine]

No reason not to. I'd brush it off and suck it up with a turkey baster.

 

[Melosu58]

You can see the cobweb looking mucus on my coral here. This is a pic of the Vermetid snail.

 

[dcantucson]

Nice pic of the Vermetid snail Mike. Clear and precise.

 

[OhNoNemo]

Do you have a sixline wrasse,they make and sleep in a cocoon.They usually eat it in the morning,but it can be left also.