eek! big worm

[100%hydrophylic]

yea, im moving stuff from my 12g into my 75g and i lifted up one of my rocks and there was a worm at least 7 inches long. the water was really cloudy and this is the first time ive seen him. i think it might be a bristle worm. idk though. should i try and catch him and put him in my 75g? or should i just throw him out?im kinda creeped out about it because ive never really dealt with worms bigger than an inch before. and idk how to find him in my sandbed.

 

[MentalDragon]

keep it... they are awesome. But becareful not to get stung!

 

[100%hydrophylic]

yes thats why idk how im gonna find him in my sandbed? any suggestions? im gonna take all the sand wash it, then store it btw.

 

[pmrossetti]

I'm for getting rid of it.

 

[100%hydrophylic]

how about put him in the fuge?

 

[ddinox64]

Keep it. It's the closest thing to an eel and eels aren't reef safe. I like the wierd conversation pieces. I have a cucumber ugly as all heck. But very cool at the same time. like a sea monster.

 

[IndyReefMan]

I'd get it out, if you can. A worm of that size could be a Eunicid worm and they can be predatory on corals.

 

[100%hydrophylic]

well i dont want to throw it out if its a bristle worm, but i dont want it to be in my dt if its a eunicid. should i put it in my fuge?

 

[lordofthereef]

Yeah, but it in the fuge, better yet, get a pic and we can identify it. I would just wear some non-powdery gloves to pic it out. Is it a orange and purple color? I have a handful of bristle worms that come out of the sand bed and eat detritus and suff, Keep the sand bed immaculately clean. If you have the one, you probably have more, depending on how long your tank has been going.

 

[MentalDragon]

To get a pic... wait a couple of hours after you turn out the lights... it will most likely come out. If you have moonlights it will make it easier to spot.

Have you noticed anything feeding on your corals? If not then most likely it isn't.

If it is a bristle worm... and you want to keep it... I say keep it in your DT because it is actually beneficial to have in there. They eat wastes, uneaten food, and other stuff you don't want in your tank.

If you decide not to keep it... can you send it to me?

 

[MentalDragon]

Also... they are pretty easy to catch.

Make a trap.

I used one of those plastic containers people are using for fragswaps these days.

Cut an X on the lid... push it down so the hole is big enough for the worm to get through... put some shrimp in it.

The worm will smell the shrimp and figure out how to get in. Once it's in... it's not smart enough to get out.

Wake up the next morning and take out the container.

 

[luther1200]

I wouldn't put it in the tank with out a proper ID not all bristle worms are good. Most of them are OK but there is some that are no good for a reef tank.

 

[surfjeepzx]

Off it!