orange tube on live rock

Question
Hi,
 I have a 3-month-old, 10-gallon nano-reef aquarium. On a piece of my live rock, I have a few very small orange tubes (about 1" long, and about the same diameter as a large needle). These tubes have some type of long, thin, stringy, mucus coming from it, that ensnare live brine shrimp. I never get to see what happens to the shrimp, due to my hermit crabs making an easy meal of them. Do you have any Idea what this is? It is not like a tubeworm, i.e. Nothing protrudes out of it.


This tank has many tubeworms, or feather dusters.
Also in the tank:
Mushroom coral
Toadstool coral
Button polyp
Silver pulsing xenia
1 Maroon Clownfish
2 Peppermint shrimp
5 snails
5 hermit crabs
And some glass anemones, but that is a question for another day:)


Answer

Steve,

It sounds like you have some type Sponge (Phylum Porifera).

I have these guys now/I have encountered them when I have placed live rock from the south Pacific in my tank. It took about two months (some are orange and some are red) in my system for them to come out.  They are common hitch hikers on your live rock. I like them because they ass a little bio-diversity to my tanks. I am not sure how to rid them from the tank because my crabs are always feasting on then.

I hope this helps & good luck
Todd