High Salinity and Worms.... Problem

[ikarus]

i know i should be checking the salinity in my tank once a day, but i haven't been. actually, i've been very bad and haven't checked it for a while. anyway, i was doing a thorough cleaning of my tank yesterday and i noticed that my salinity is 1.028... i've lowered it to 1.027 and i plan on lowering it to 1.024 over the course of 5 days. i'm ashamed and embarrassed but now i know why my live rock was looking shabby.

also, i've been having these white things growing on my live rock and glass. they look like little white fuzzy round pods with a very small and translucent trumpet-like spout coming out of the top. are they worms, and how do i get rid of them?

 

[reefkprZ]

honestly I have been running my reefs at 1.027 for years to keep my trace elements higher corals love it. the obnly draw back is it makes osmoregulation harder on fish so its tougher to acclimate new arrivals but a SG of 1.027 isnt going to kill anything. a sudden drop or spike may buit a gradual ascent or decline in SG wont.

 

[reefkprZ]

also, i've been having these white things growing on my live rock and glass. they look like little white fuzzy round pods with a very small and translucent trumpet-like spout coming out of the top. are they worms, and how do i get rid of them?

they are a type of poriferan, they are called Q-tip sponges they are common in newer tanks and generally decline in numbers as your tank gets established, consider them free filtration.

 

[Deanos]

Spirorbid Worms

 

[ikarus]

thank you, reefkprZ, that's exactly what they are. thank goodness they aren't harmful things.

as for the salinity, i think i should lower it because i don't have any corals. thanks for the info!