Nightmare in my tank!!!

[55semireef]

Last night when all the lights were off, I was still awake and decided to take a flashlight and look around to see if I could find anything interesting. Boy did I find something "interesting." I saw something dart really fast into a rock which appeared to be some type of worm. It freaked me out. It started to come back out again and I got my camera and took these shots. What is this? Is it some type of Eunicid(sp?) worm?

Is this thing dangerous and how should I get it removed? How would I remove it?

I know these worms get HUGE and want to get it out fast. BTW, this is no bristle worm. This thing was moving really fast and feared the light.

 

[Great White 76]

Did you get a good look at the head of it? Did it have any antenna?

 

[55semireef]

In the second picture you can see the head. It was really small.

 

[tom sumter]

It will probably spring from the tank one day, wrap itself around your neck, and suck the blood from your body until you turn blue and die. It will then grow and grow and need to find more humans to feed on. Then it will move to the sewers and nobody in Orlando will be safe. You are doomed.

Seriously, I have no clue what that thing is.

 

[vessxpress1]

Hate to say it but your best bet would probably be to take the rock out he's in if possible and try to bust him out, out of the tank. I had one just like that, that stretched for I bet 6 inches. I took all my liverock out to cook it and dipped the rock that it stayed in, in some cold, fresh water to try to kill it. 2 weeks later, I was sorting through my rock in the tub and I chipped a piece off of one to get rid of some zoanthids I didn't want on it and the chunk that broke off, just by chance, exposed the worm still alive! I'm pretty sure I didn't have two because it was pretty good sized and I never noticed another one under the moonlights. I disposed of it promptly.

Other than that, maybe try a worm trap? I know I couldn't have caught mine in the tank. They feel vibration and sense when something gets close in the water.

 

[Great White 76]

I see the head in the second picture but I wanted to know if you had a better look at it. I had them in my tank awhile back, and I pulled the entire rock. I had several of them living under a green star mat. It was eating my green star.

 

[55semireef]

This is just great. There is no way I will be able to remove that piece of liverocl. Here is a full tank shot. The rock is the VERY purple one in the bottom left corner of the tank. You can see that a lot of rocks are relying on that rock for support.

This weekend I am going to make a trap out of a small jar. Do they eat pieces of fish or shrimp or just sessile inverts?

 

[Great White 76]

Man I feel your pain, I've been there. I couldn't sleep once I found it. As for what they eat, most are scavengers from what I read, but check this link out for more info. You can find the worm a little more than half way down the page.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php

 

[Lev F.]

He's near a snail, probably ate it. My guess would be Oenone fulgida.

 

[55semireef]

Looking at those worms gave me chills. I need to get this guy out of my tank.

 

[LeslieH]

55 - you've got yourself an Oenone fulgida which is a mollusc predator. The preferred prey items are snails & clams. These will even go after Tridacna. If there's no molluscs in your tank they can survive on detritus, fish pellets, sessile inverts, etc. Try picking up a couple of live clams from a supermarket to use as bait (maybe frozen clams will work too).

 

[SDguy]

Those look a lot less like "bristles" and a lot more like legs. Cool! One of the RC TEam is a worm expert. Hopefully she can chime in...

...and beat me to it

 

[Great White 76]

Good luck, you will have to keep us posted on the outcome.

 

[pony_killer]

hey can't you move the rocks and corals that are on top of that one rock to the side and then pull that rock out and get rid of the little sucker?

 

[kingfisher62]

You can use a trap , such as a bristle worm trap , you can make one easily!

 

[jennmac415]

for fun, check out www.oregonreef.com and see what this guy had in his tank...

 

[jennmac415]

then just TRY to sleep at night lol

 

[Waxxiemann]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9127197#post9127197 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jennmac415
for fun, check out www.oregonreef.com and see what this guy had in his tank...

... that's messed ....

Why don't you find out what hole it lives in and just seal it in there with some epoxy putty?

 

[Gundo5000]

Stuff various foods into panty hose, then tie a knot and put it in at nite. This will lure him to it and he could may get stuck in the PH or you may have to grab him. (May also need to add a rock to allow the PH/food to sink)

HTH.

 

[John99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9127197#post9127197 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jennmac415
for fun, check out www.oregonreef.com and see what this guy had in his tank...

...o...my...gosh that bugger grew to 7 feet!!!