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I just noticed these guys on my chaeto a day after I did a water change (Saturday) but today I saw they are multiplying and now the are on my refugium rocks too.
Any idea if they are Digitate Hydroids?
I've checked on the web and some people say they are harmless but others say they are bad, very confusing.....
What I'm going to do is to take the chaeto & the rocks out of my refugium, let them sit in RO/DI water for couple of days and wash my sump with hot water....so far I have not seen any worms on the display tank.
They are filter feeders, just catching debris in the water column. The only time they are "bad" is if they are touching corals as they can irritate them.
If they are just in the sump I would leave them be.
I would agree with Josh. As long as they're only in the sump, it shouldn't be an issue.
Your sump / fuge is where you want stuff like this to grow, and consume nutrients to get them out of the water column. These would be about as effective as the chaeto that you are trying to grow, so why would you want to remove it?
They will harm corals though, so if you see any starting to form in the DT, then I would remove them. So, if you want to be extra safe and don't want to risk a spread to the DT, I would do as you were planning and remove any traces of it from the sump.
For future reference, I always like to share this link to Xtalreef's Hitchhiker FAQ. It gives you good pics and descriptions of most of the "surprises" you might find that seem to grow out of nowhere.
That's what I'm afraid of to get them on the DT, I really don't want to have to brake down my tank even thou I don't have that much corals in there....thanks a lot for the feed backs.
They will get in the DT eventually. If they do there is no reason to break down the tank. They come and go with the nutrient lvl. In my old nano I found them first in the Sump and figured like algae if its there its fine. I went about my merry way. Soon they were all over my DT. My numbers were all in line and there was no reason to think I had a nutrient problem. They were annoying to look at but they did not seem to bother any corals most of the time, in fact I truly believe they were as bothered by the corals as the corals were to them. Once I lightened up on my feedings they pretty much disappeared.
Its like you said. Mixed reviews. I'd say leave well enough alone. Even if you see them in the tank. I would only do something if they got to plague portions. No matter what you do, you can pretty much bet they are there to stay. Even if you don't see them in the DT doesn't mean they aren't under a rock somewhere you cant see.
Example I have a rock that is half covered in GSP and Colonizing Hydroids. Theres people that would pull the rock and give it a good scrubbing while others will just put it off on its own(what I did).