The hunt for a giant worm

[jwre]

I was having trouble keeping Xenia, ricordea, LPS and later on SPS. I knew something was munching on my corals at night but never really investigated well. I thought it was a crab and I tried a crab trap for a couple of days without succes.
Then I red a story on the internet about a big coral eating worm ( Eunicid ).
It was 80 cm but I read that they could reach 2 meters in aquariums. This kept me awake at night. I decided to sit by the tank all night to finally catch the thief in the act.
Then al of a sudden there it was!!!! I forgot to breath for a couple of seconds. :surprised It was the same worm that I saw on the internet. Only this one was a bit bigger. Everytime I tried to make a picture it would retract very, very fast. I coudn't beleive my eyes how fast it was for such a big animal. I was so terribly facinated that I could not leave the tank until the next morning.
Then I called my friend Martin who helps me maintain the tank. We decided the best way would be to take out the rocks from the tank and catch it.
We started at one end of the tank and ended up having to take out every piece of live rock and moving every piece of coral.
Finally when we reached the last rock there he was. A magnificent creature as if from the stone age.
My friend Martin caught it quickly.
The tank was a big mess but the mission was completed.
Despite of all the damage the worm did to my tank over the years ( he has been in there for almost 4 years ) I felt very bad to have to kill it.
Much worse then destroying my aquascape.


Here we are cutting a large branch of the A. Florida

Nothing under there

or there

or there :wallbash: :wallbash:

it hurts

looking closely

the last possibility

there he is

1 meter and 30 centimeters

RIP big guy.

 

[jwre]

These are his droppings.

 

[IridescentLily]

 

[TheH]

Wow, 51". So how did you actually get it out? Did you simply pull it?

 

[jwre]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14223143#post14223143 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheH
Wow, 51". So how did you actually get it out? Did you simply pull it?

It was pulled up from the sand with a net. Luckily it did not break.

 

[davenia7]

HOLY S$%T!!!!
That thing is bigger than my dog. And she's a lab mix.

 

[TheH]

That's a nice red plating coral btw. Is that a monticap? The LiveAquaria Red Candy Cap?

 

[TellyFish]

I will have to say that these monsters are pretty common as hitchhikers. I pulled a 8" eunice worm from my tank and I have no doubt he would have gotten much bigger if he had the chance.

Pretty sure he killed several shrimp, crabs, etc...

 

[jwre]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14225308#post14225308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheH
That's a nice red plating coral btw. Is that a monticap? The LiveAquaria Red Candy Cap?

Sorry I have no idea on the exact name for the monti. The only thing I know is that it was one of the favourite foods for the monster. It is a miracle I still have so much monti left.

I think I am finally going to see some serious growth on that coral now the giant midnight coral muncher is dead.

 

[cward]

Nasty things. Here's the one I found in my reef when I tore it down to move.

 

[dbarker]

That is just incredible! I can't imagine something that big can hide so well in the tank!! Debbie