Archivarium 2004

soapmyster · Members Joined: 27 Nov 2004 Location: NY

From what I can find out these are called Pileolaria sp. Looks like shell of a Nautilus. Its tiny feather duster with a calcareous tube. They seem to be all over the tank. I want to find out more about it..but can find anything about them anywhere online. If anyone has any more info about these little guys I would love to hear about it. ANYTHING AT ALL!!

PICTURES TAKEN FROM www.advancedaquarist.com

KDodds · Advisors Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Location: Suffern, NY

Spiroborid worms, most likely. They come and go and are completely harmless.
_________________
Kieron Dodds
Inside Aquatics
www.insideaquatics.com

soapmyster · Members Joined: 27 Nov 2004 Location: NY

Thank You for the reply....
I checked for Spiroborid worms on the web and there is zero results. Still would like to know more about these Pileolaria sp.

The Old Salt · Regulars Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Location: Alabama

One practical, useful thing I can tell you right off the bat is that these things are very difficult to remove from the surfaces to which they attach. They get into everything, like your impeller chambers and skimmer and hoses and such, and they can occasionally jam them. Inspect your critical surfaces regularly and keep these things scraped off of parts they can impede.
Don't panic; they are mostly harmless. Just keep them out of your pumps.

KDodds · Advisors Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Location: Suffern, NY

Sorry, can't help you on links, but what would you like to know? Like most polychaete tubeworms, they're filter feeders. Given their minute size, it might be reasonable to expect that they need less sustenance than larger tube worms, thus can proliferate rapidly. You'll find them in your skimmer, sump, etc., just about any place that is submerged within your tank.
_________________
Kieron Dodds
Inside Aquatics
www.insideaquatics.com

soapmyster · Members Joined: 27 Nov 2004 Location: NY

Can I get some kind of fish that will control them or eat them..? I do not want it to multiply anymore then it is right now.

KDodds · Advisors Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Location: Suffern, NY

Just scrape them off. Some Butteflies might nip the crowns off, and even get the worm out, but they won't eat the tube. So, you'll wind up having to scrape anyway, and you'll have added a delicate fish that may not even be suitable in your tank otherwise. If there's good news it's that they generally never reach "plague" proportions, since they're limited by food availability. You should see a pretty even population eventually, but all tanks take time to mature, and "blooms" of these worms is fairly common in new tanks.
_________________
Kieron Dodds
Inside Aquatics
www.insideaquatics.com