Avalon_Princess
New member
Firstly please don't just leave a comment saying I should kill it without at least giving some reason or explanation besides the fact it looks creepy.
Okay so I bought my liverock five days ago, I bought it cured and it travelled in water so time out of water would be less then ten seconds, even the sponges survived. however this meant I ended up with some bad guys and some creepy guys. One of these was a giant worm, by giant I mean 40 cm or 16 inches for those who use imperial measurement. Including bristles 'Harry' would be about and inch wide.
My Tank is a nano, 65l or 17g with 10.5 kg (23 lbs) live rock, Harry turned up a couple of nights after the rock had been in the tank. My Tank has a lot of worms, most are your typical bristleworm with grey to pink gradiation that everyone has there are two exceptions, Harry being one and theres another 5-6" worm of the same species as Harry.
I've done a lot of reading and believe Harry is an Eurythoe complanata, I came to this conclusion as it is the most common giant worm on Australia's shore, and from all I've read there are only two species of Giant worm common in aquaria, Eurythoe complanata and Hermodice carunculata, which can be ruled out because a) my rock came from Australia, this species is not found in Australia and b) they have a red caruncle Harry's is brown.
Harry seems fairly benign there is coral in the tank (hitchhikers on the LR) a colt coral, clove coral and zoanthid and Harry hasn't even gone near them. The only thing that wasn't dead I've seen him show interest in was an Aiptasia I'd zapped with vinegar.
So really I'm looking for advice of how to care for him and what to look for if he may become a nuisance. He spends his time coiled up under a flat piece of LR unless I drop a sinking pellet in, then he comes out, eats it whole and returns to his den. I've got some good pictures of him feeding actually.
I will admit he creeps me out, but at the same time I don't believe in killing things because their 'creepy" considering he's a benign worm in a glass tank it's an irrational fear, I wear gloves when doing maintenance so it's not like he'll hurt me. I have however told Mum what to do if Harry does get me, as I figured I'll be pretty incoherent if I do get jabbed by him, they are called fireworms for a reason after all.
So any advice, feeding habits? best ways to keep him happy and contented?
Here's some pictures of him-
Okay so I bought my liverock five days ago, I bought it cured and it travelled in water so time out of water would be less then ten seconds, even the sponges survived. however this meant I ended up with some bad guys and some creepy guys. One of these was a giant worm, by giant I mean 40 cm or 16 inches for those who use imperial measurement. Including bristles 'Harry' would be about and inch wide.
My Tank is a nano, 65l or 17g with 10.5 kg (23 lbs) live rock, Harry turned up a couple of nights after the rock had been in the tank. My Tank has a lot of worms, most are your typical bristleworm with grey to pink gradiation that everyone has there are two exceptions, Harry being one and theres another 5-6" worm of the same species as Harry.
I've done a lot of reading and believe Harry is an Eurythoe complanata, I came to this conclusion as it is the most common giant worm on Australia's shore, and from all I've read there are only two species of Giant worm common in aquaria, Eurythoe complanata and Hermodice carunculata, which can be ruled out because a) my rock came from Australia, this species is not found in Australia and b) they have a red caruncle Harry's is brown.
Harry seems fairly benign there is coral in the tank (hitchhikers on the LR) a colt coral, clove coral and zoanthid and Harry hasn't even gone near them. The only thing that wasn't dead I've seen him show interest in was an Aiptasia I'd zapped with vinegar.
So really I'm looking for advice of how to care for him and what to look for if he may become a nuisance. He spends his time coiled up under a flat piece of LR unless I drop a sinking pellet in, then he comes out, eats it whole and returns to his den. I've got some good pictures of him feeding actually.
I will admit he creeps me out, but at the same time I don't believe in killing things because their 'creepy" considering he's a benign worm in a glass tank it's an irrational fear, I wear gloves when doing maintenance so it's not like he'll hurt me. I have however told Mum what to do if Harry does get me, as I figured I'll be pretty incoherent if I do get jabbed by him, they are called fireworms for a reason after all.
So any advice, feeding habits? best ways to keep him happy and contented?
Here's some pictures of him-
It's just the pain from having a bunch of hollow calcium carbonate spines impale you, kind of like fiberglass. 
