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Pet Forum / Aquaria / Marine Reef / June 2005Help with worm ID, please
I have a seething mass of reddish brown worms (at least I think they are worms) in a piece of live rock down by the substrate. Today a piece of shrimp floated down to it and the tentacles all wrapped around the shrimp and pulled it in. A snail wandered over and the tentacles wrapped around the snail. I have white spaghetti worms in my tank and they act nothing like this mass. It looks nightmarish and acts predatory. The tentacles actually wrap around its food and drag it. If you know what it is, please tell me. If you know how to get rid of it, even better!!  SignatureAnn R There was a thread a few weeks back which I think called them flatworms, mine have hair like legs down the sides like centipedes. I've had them from the beginning, about 5 years, with no problems until they got inside a clam which led to it's demise. I didn't know they were responsible until I put the clam to dry out to at least recover the shell and they all fell out. If they are only in one rock, maybe a piece you just added to the tank and there are no coral specimens on it etc., you could imerse it in fresh water to get rid of the worms. Since mine are fairly widespread I pick off those I can with tongs when I feed the fish and they come out. Andy >I have a seething mass of reddish brown worms (at least I think they are >worms) in a piece of live rock down by the substrate. Today a piece of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >actually wrap around its food and drag it. If you know what it is, please >tell me. If you know how to get rid of it, even better!! They sound like bristle worms. Some people say they are harmless, others claim they can cause chaos. I think it depends on the specific type. They usually eat tons of left-over food that fall into the rocks and cracks. I keep the population low in my tank by using a trap. But I do have a few smaller ones in there. They can grow to 3-4 feet which you DO NOT WANT! You can buy or make a trap for them. You can get a trap from Petco for around $9, or just search for Bristle worm traps on google.com. You can also go the more natural way and get a Arrow Crab or Long Nose Hawkfish which both will eat them and control their populations. Do they look like this? http://melevsreef.com/id/bristleworm.html One more thing, DO NOT TOUCH THEM with you bare hands. They have tiny bristles (hence the name bristle worm) and lodge them into your skin which I hear hurts like a mother...... They're not bristle worms or flat worms. The "tentacles" radiate from one central spot like an octopus's arms and literally reach out and wrap around anything that comes near them and pulls it back to the rock. If you are into FW aquariums, the color and look is like a mass a blood worms squirming. It is giving me (and hubby) the creeps! SignatureAnn R > One more thing, DO NOT TOUCH THEM with you bare hands. They have tiny > bristles (hence the name bristle worm) and lodge them into your skin which > I hear hurts like a mother...... How big is this thing. It acts like a tube small anemone http://images.google.com/images?q=tube%20anemone&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=wi SignatureBoomer Want to talk chemistry ? The Reef Chemistry Forum http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/index.php WCWing@nospamChartermi.Net Former US Army Bomb Technician (EOD) Member; IABTI, NATEODA, WEODF, ISEE & IPS If You See Me Running You Better Catch-Up :I have a seething mass of reddish brown worms (at least I think they are : worms) in a piece of live rock down by the substrate. Today a piece of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] : actually wrap around its food and drag it. If you know what it is, please : tell me. If you know how to get rid of it, even better!! The tentacles stretch out about 2 inches and form a mass about an inch across. I can't see any body because it's right at the base of some rock that has another overhanging it. Nothing new has been added to the tank in over a month. Trying to fashion some kind of hook to grab this thing and yank it out. SignatureAnn R > How big is this thing. It acts like a tube small anemone > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > please > : tell me. If you know how to get rid of it, even better!! Just did a google on tube anemone. That's exactly what the tentacles look like. Thanks Boomer for the info. Gotta get rid of it. > The tentacles stretch out about 2 inches and form a mass about an inch > across. I can't see any body because it's right at the base of some rock [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >> please >> : tell me. If you know how to get rid of it, even better!! Why don't you just take the rock out and put it in fresh water for a while? That should kill it... > Just did a google on tube anemone. That's exactly what the tentacles look > like. Thanks Boomer for the info. Gotta get rid of it. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] >>> please >>> : tell me. If you know how to get rid of it, even better!! The rock is at the bottom of the pile (of course) so I'd have to disassemble the whole tank. We shot it with a good dose of Joe's Juice. Hoping it's an Aiptasia species so Joe's Juice takes care of it., also hoping there is no more lurking around the tank. Thanks for everyone's help. SignatureAnn R > Why don't you just take the rock out and put it in fresh water for a > while? That should kill it... [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >>>> please >>>> : tell me. If you know how to get rid of it, even better!! |
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