getting rid of tube worms

[kristytang]

anyone have any thoughts on how to get rid of these? theyre NOT feather dusters, they are these little worms that live in hard tubes and send out mucus webs. the reason i want them gone: they keep sending webs all over my candy AND when i feed my tank brine they catch almost ALL of it and reel it back in to feast. my husband is ready to toss the entire rock, he is so sick of it. i really really dont want to lose it, its such an interesting shape plus it has cloves, cabage, and yellow polyps attached to it (the main rock, not just a frag glued to it). any advice would be greatly appriciated. ive been wondering if an arrow crab would eat them? i know they like worms. or any other fish/invert?

 

[Myrddraal]

Look up vermetid snails, that sounds more like what you have. I'm not sure how to get rid of them though.

 

[kristytang]

thanks for the suggestion that is EXACTLY what i have! never even heard of em haha.
so, anyone know how to get rid of these?

 

[kristytang]

i just did a quick search and it seems no one knows how to get rid of them. so, best way to get cabage, polyps, and cloves off a rock? haha.

 

[Myrddraal]

If they're all over the tank, I'm not sure how either. If it's a relatively new tank, and they're only on that one rock, you can take the rock out and superglue over the tubes. Then, after a few weeks to let the snails die, you can break off their tubes either in or out of the tank. If the whole tank is covered, then you're in my situation :lol: I've been breaking them off whenever my hands are in the tank, and it helps for a little while.

 

[kristytang]

well theyre all on one rock but heres the problem: that one rock is holding a LOT of corals. see photo haha. pardon all the closed up corals, we literally JUST added them at the time of this photo.

 

[plateboy3293]

I thought you have to flip off the cap and stab them . Not positive.
Ask greenbean36191

 

[Psychographic]

Target feed your Candycanes some frozen Mysis, the BS has very little nutritional value.

You could put a dab of glue or epoxy on the end to shut them in, but I don't see why, they are harmless and add diversity to the tank.

I can never understand why people always want to erradicate harmless hitchhikers.

 

[kristytang]

i want to get rid of them because they are netting my whole tank! and eating all my corals/fishes food. one, fine. five, whatever. 100+ in a 29 bio? they gotta go.
thanks for the suggestions everyone, i think im going to try either gluing them OR just taking the rock out, well see what happens. ive heard with glueing they sometimes still come back though so idk if that will work too well.