Coco Worm

[yardboy]

I was at the lfs the other day and noticed they had a coco worm the diameter of a soda straw that was at least 18" long. (Pleas don't ask how they shipped it, I can't even imagine)
I was also recently given a larger diameter one that is at least 12" long.
Question is do they occupy the whole length of their tube, or can it be trimmed a bit to make it easier to fit into a smaller tank?

 

[LeslieH]

The tubes are usually many times longer than the worm inside. They run down into the sediment or under/between rocks so the worm can retreat deep inside. It probably wouldn't bother the worm too much if you trim some off the rear end.

 

[pbnj]

You might stress it and make it abandon its tube.

Why not buy one with a shorter tube? They're pretty common. I've seen some only 3-4 inches long.

 

[yardboy]

Thanks Leslie. I'll shine a flashlight behind the tube to see if I can see where he is inside, like "candling and egg" to see if it's fertile!
pbnj, I certainly don't want to stress it out but they aren't all that commonly seen here and the tank I'm setting up is a small one and the long tube definitely limits the possibilities of placing it in the tank. Since they filter feed it needs to be in the flow for a higher probability of success.
Thanks so much for the replies.