ID LR Hitchhiker

[Brianna]

I bought 20 lbs of LR yesterday and I just caught this guy roaming around on one of the rocks. I was wondering if someone could tell me what he is and if he's good or bad. I'm new to all of this, but I think it may be a bristle worm... hoping it's not a fireworm since I've read those are bad.

Here's a picture of it, sorry about the quality but all I have is my cell phone.

It's red, 2 or so inches long and looks like a centipede. He's pretty quick.

 

[bbalak]

Looks like a bristleworm. Some peppermint shrimp will take care if it if you don't want it in the tank. They eat detritus. I'd be more concerned about that anemone in the background. It looks like aiptasia.

 

[Brianna]

Looks like a bristleworm. Some peppermint shrimp will take care if it if you don't want it in the tank. They eat detritus. I'd be more concerned about that anemone in the background. It looks like aiptasia.

Thank you!! I just found another littler worm, I'll leave them be

And about the anemone, I had a feeling about that when I started looking up info about them. My boyfriend doesn't want to accept the fact that it's bad to have in the tank. Any ideas on how to get rid of it? The one rock we bought is covered with them... he likes the look of it but if it's as much of a pest as I've read I WANT IT GONE!!!

 

[quickwiz00]

Yea, that's a bristle worm. I have a whole bunch in my tank, always have. They really do no harm and are beneficial.

If you look in your tank with a flashlight about 30 minutes after lights out, you will probably see more of them. If you do decide you want to remove it, do not touch it with your hands.

 

[bbalak]

And about the anemone, I had a feeling about that when I started looking up info about them. My boyfriend doesn't want to accept the fact that it's bad to have in the tank. Any ideas on how to get rid of it? The one rock we bought is covered with them... he likes the look of it but if it's as much of a pest as I've read I WANT IT GONE!!!

You definitely want them ALL GONE. They will spread all over the tank like wildfire. There are commercial products like Aiptasia X that you can use:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo3DZYdAD2Y

You can essentially do the same thing with lemon juice. DO NOT try to remove them by pulling at them or other means. They are very fragile, and will just fall apart - which will make them spread faster. I'm guessing you probably have a reef tank. There are butterfly fish that will eat them, but they are generally not considered reef safe. Good luck!

 

[Lina5910]

i found this to be the easiest and most effective way to get rid of aptaisia. good luck

 

[Lina5910]

oops. here it is

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/33-reefkeeping-101-

 

[Steve W]

Alternate technique for Aptasia removal.

Take 4 6-volt flashlight batteries (the big ones) wire them in series to get 24 volts, put a switch in the circuit. Tin the ends of the wires with tin solder so no copper shows. Stick the wire ends into the aptasia, close the switch and watch it dissolve. A few may regrow from fragments left behind, but a second treatment will usually finish them.

Not my idea - someone else posted this somewhere else, but it works.

Alternately if you can lift the rock out easily, just pour a little boiling water over that spot. End of story. Worked for me.

 

[89Foxbody]

Peppermint shrimp will sometimes eat them as well (the aiptasias). I bought a pair and they chowed on all of mine.

That's definitely a bristleworm though. They are beneficial scavengers as others have said.

 

[SushiGirl]

Just be careful if you do zap them with batteries, don't do too many at once since it release chlorine. At least the one you can buy now specifically for zapping them does. I believe that was mentioned in the thread Steve is talking about, as well.