eunicid worm removal

[TheGreekReefer]

I have one eating my sps. Please Help. Need him out. any ideas to get him out?

 

[serpentman]

Unfortunately, physical removal is probably your best bet. Honestly, I am not sure if you can trap them. I do know its important to make sure you remove all parts.

http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

 

[TheGreekReefer]

How? Remove every rock?

 

[sedor]

You could try the bottle trap method. Take a 20 ounce bottle and cut the top 1/3rd off. Turn it over and stick it back into the bottle so the top is now pointing down towards the bottom. Use tape to secure the top. Bait the trap and just leave it in the tank overnight. Cross your fingers that you see your worm in the morning. You may have to do this every night until you catch it.

 

[Ricunger]

You could try the bottle trap method. Take a 20 ounce bottle and cut the top 1/3rd off. Turn it over and stick it back into the bottle so the top is now pointing down towards the bottom. Use tape to secure the top. Bait the trap and just leave it in the tank overnight. Cross your fingers that you see your worm in the morning. You may have to do this every night until you catch it.

+1! Works awesome on catching mostly anything... you may have some other interesting finds when you check it in the morning.

 

[TheGreekReefer]

has anyone been successful with the bottle trap at catch a eunicid?

 

[Znut Reefer]

Never tried it. But sounds like a good plan. I'd give it a try.

 

[TheGreekReefer]

I got mine out yesterday. Traps do not work. Steve Weast from the Oregon Reef told me traps are a waste of time. Steve pulled two worms out of his tank, one was 5ft and the other 7ft. OMG He told me there tail usually doesn't leave the burrow. Only way to remove it is to find the rock it burrows in and remove the rock. Thank you Steve. I know it sucks but trust me well worth it. These worms can grow very large, mine started eating expensive acros. Not cool. We as reefers put all this time, energy, and money into creating an environment that will support these beatiful acropora not create gourmet meals for a worm.

Here is how you do it. Stake out the tank at night with a red flash light. I used a red flashlight and a couple of clip-on desk lamps with red bulbs in them. Light the tank up nice and good. It took me several nights to find its home. Be patient.

Now do what you have to do to get the rock out. Me I had to cut coral that had fused the rock in place. Pull the rock out, please use gloves, us a syringe and inject Club Soda into it's lair. LeslieH works at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. She is an expert in worms you can find her here on Reef Central. She told me to use club soda and boy does it work. After a few injections into the hole it crawled out of there fairly quickly. Thank you Leslie.

After he crawled out I started to inspect the rock to make sure it was safe to put back in. I saw another one. *** I injected more club soda in and kind of pushed it out. When it dropped out I noticed it didn't have a head. I couldn't believe it. It left its tail behind to regenerate into a new worm. What an incredible survival mechanism.

Everyone who has one remove it. They might be harmless at first but as they get older their appetite changes and they start munching on coral. Trust me you want no parts of this. Get it out as soon as possible.

Here it is

Close up of its face

 

[serpentman]

Thanks for the update. They give me the creeps.

Recently, I was cutting acans for a club event. There was a pocket in the dead rock under the coral. When I cut in half a 12" eucinid worm popped out and scared the *$&# outta me.

 

[TheGreekReefer]

They are so creepy

 

[nano427]

if you believe it left a piece behind to regenerate couldn't you just glue the hole shut

 

[LeslieH]

:beer: Congratulations on finally getting it out!

Did you toss it? If you still have it I'd like to get it (dead) so I can try to identify it to species. There are several hundred Eunice species and not all of them grow large or feed on corals. It would be nice to figure out which ones do and which ones don't.

 

[TheGreekReefer]

I'll send it to you Leslie, let me know what you find. Do u believe it left it's tail behind when it left the rock? Club soda was key thank you

 

[uf_gators]

I believe I found one in my tank. it was on my GSP... is that what this is?

 

[Chris Lakies]

Nasty buggers! Had one in an old tank. Took out the very large rock he was in and flushed it with fresh water. He popped out of his hole and fell in the bucket. These things give me the creeps!

 

[M007]

Had one once, ate me out of some very expensive zoos :eek1: After numerous failed night time hunting trips I had to finally remove the rock and break it to evict the bugger. Wish I knew about club soda back then. For the record mine at full extension measured 4 feet! :eek1::eek1::eek1:

 

[stevedola]

club soda is a good trick to get mantis shrimp from a rock too!

 

[braziesbarrier]

Any known predators for these worms?

 

[russeko8]

Nasty nasty worms. I used to use live rock in my tanks and for this reason and many others I prefer to use dry rock and just cycle it. I remember my first tank I found bristle worms that were 10 inches.

 

[rovster]

I believe I found one in my tank. it was on my GSP... is that what this is?

Looks more like a nudi of some sort.