Unknow worm

[tiburone9162003]

hi guys,i was wondering if anyone knows or seen this pink and purple little worm in rock...i have one in one of my rock in the tank,and today i bough some more from john and when i got home i found some in that rock,not sure if they bad or what,and it hard to take a good pic of them...it looks like they have lots of legs and are pink and purple only comes out at night ...i seen some sites about hitch hickers and none look like them...

[boviac]

Serch google images for "bristleworm" and see if that's what your looking at. IMO they are relatively reefsafe. I have a ton in my 29 gal and everything seems fine. Watch out they will sting you - not bad but you'll feel like tiny porcupine needles are in your finger or skin. Some of these worms have ended up in my fluval's sponge filters which I previously cleaned by hand. Now I use some reef gloves that I got from Marine Depot to minimize the temporary sting anoyance. When I first got my tank (it was already set up and established) I would look at night and it seems I would see something new for up to a year or so. Good luck and enjoy all this hobby has to learn - LOTS!

[tiburone9162003]

thanx for info...i just rinse the rock in the sink and i took out alot of hitch hikers that was in the rock...still some in rock but i was worry about those worms...

[Nu2SW]

If they are bristle worms, they help clean up alot of left over junk.

Some people say they have killed fish, But usually they have no proof and look to blame something.


This website http://www.melevsreef.com/id/ will help you ID lots of things.

[MrMikeB]

I too bought some from John and noticed these worms in the rocks. They come out at night and are half purple and the other half pink. I believe they are fire worms (a bristle), and shy away from light. They generally keep to themselves from what I have been able to tell but I have been told pack a wallop if you get stung by the little devils - so be careful.

[boviac]

I've only seen one photo of an 'attack' of what appears to be about 8-10 bristleworms after a pepermint shrimp. Photographer stated he saw this at night and took the photo.

Other than that I've heard of nobody else. But I have heard of lots of people saying how benifitial they are to the tanks ecosystem.

I would just be aware that if they get too many in number And if food becomes scarce, then your inhabitants may be come food.

And all this IS if what you are trying to ID is a bristleworm... Mantis Shrimp, flatworms, and a few other creatures can be harmful hitchhikers on liverock but for the most part, many are the reason we buy 'Live' rock.

[boviac]

Edwin, I too took to looking at Melev's ID page but couldn't find any worms. So I google it and came up with lots of them.

[tiburone9162003]

i took a pic of the worm,its weird cuz right now its right under the light lol...getting a tan or something lol...but his little light red..but the one in my first rock its big ,maybe like inch...im gonna try to post some pics for u guys...i have like maybe 10 of those brittles or serpen stars,they not bad right??? lol

[tiburone9162003]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140827IMAGE_00117.jpg

[tiburone9162003]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140827IMAGE_00118.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140827IMAGE_00119.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140827IMAGE_00120.jpg

[Nu2SW]

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/bristleworm.jpg

cant see anything in your pictures, your too far away from whatever your taking a picture of.

The link above is from Melev's website.

Julio, How long has your tank been up and running for again?

[tiburone9162003]

going for 4 weeks...

[tiburone9162003]

ummm,it might look like the one on the pic,but this are very little and 2 different colors...and it looks like they have a black belly...

[tiburone9162003]

not sure if i post the pic,but one of the rocks have some black stuff on it...anyone know whats that...

[tiburone9162003]

Edwin,on the link u send me,i see some sponges kinda look like the black stuff on my rock,but on there site its only blue,white and yellowish i think...

[Nu2SW]

probably is a sponge, they are good. you want those.

[tiburone9162003]

lol,i almost try to scrape it lastnight ...but on the site it says that if they taking out of the water they might die...

[Nu2SW]

Yeah sponges if exposed to air will probably die. Ive taken some rock out that had some on, but it survived.

[tiburone9162003]

ok,i just saw this worm from the new rock,now this one its big! its light brown hanging from the rock,maybe 2 inchs...i have pics..

[tiburone9162003]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140827IMAGE_00123.jpg

[boviac]

I've seen those type of worms in my tank on a rare occasion. They only come out a night and when I shine a light, they roll back up inside themselves. Wierd. Don't know what they are but haven't had any problems that I know of from them.

[boviac]

Edwin, Thanks for the link on Melev's site. I simply didn't look hard enough.

[tiburone9162003]

this one its hanging from the rock and light on,weird his out,it looks like he wants to move from rock,but who knows...

[Nu2SW]

that my friend is called a peanut worm, they are reef safe. They only come out at night, and when light is shined on them, they shrink back up into the hole they have for a home.

I have one in my tank that I like looking at.

Its very stange that it is out with lights on.

It may be weak from the fresh water bath and may be dying or dead.

[tiburone9162003]

it just get in the hole few mins ago...damnsel was close by and wasnt sure if it was safe :) so its call peanut worm...u have pics of urs?

[Nu2SW]

it is nearly impossible to get pictures of those, because as soon as they see light, they shrink into their holes.

[tiburone9162003]

ohh,i was lucky them! :) ... quick question about the zoas...u guys recomment to handle zoas with gloves or wont matter?

[Nu2SW]

if you dont have any open soar's or cuts on your hands, then it is ok to handle them without gloves. I grab mine all the time. If they get cut, they secrete a fluid that is very toxic. that is what you want to stay away from.

[tiburone9162003]

ok...even if u dont touch them,they wont like try to kinda touch u while u moving them around right...
i hear they even squiert are u lol...like when they out of the tank..

[Nu2SW]

yeah they spit at you, mostly only when you are fragging them or if they feel threatened. John at yourreef has been squirted in the eye before. Very nasty aftermath, his eye looked very bad.

When fragging zoa's, ALWAYS close your eyes and turn away or wear safety glasses. I would say go with safety glasses, because you never know, you may end up fragging a finger :-O

[tiburone9162003]

lol,yea! sounds scary,but still fun hobby...i might take my zoas out for few mins. to put them on a disc or marble..right now they sittin on like a little piece of wood...

[Brian Prestwood]

Yep, peanut worm.

Want to see lots of pictures of anything do a Google image search. There are 97 pictures of peanut worms.

[tiburone9162003]

thanx :)

[tiburone9162003]

i keep looking at this worm and the one peanut from pics,but dunno...mine have like legs or something,maybe its hair,and i guess the mouth its just like a black dot in the middle of the head...

[Brian Prestwood]

The only hair like thing I've seen on peanut worms are the short tentacles around their mouths. Maybe that isn't a peanut worm. Can you get a better picture.

[tiburone9162003]

its hard,my cam sux :( ... i look lots of pics for the peanut worm,but none really look like this one,i just found another one,this one its little and red....maybe the ones i seen online they big and mine still little,maybe thats why they dont look like it?

[MrMikeB]

I am not sure that picture was a peanut worm. Although not an expert, I still say it looks like a fire worm with the hairs alongside the body like that. A google search pulls up images on this worm as well. I have a very similar worm like that in my rock with the pink and purple body.

Thoughts?

[MrMikeB]

Does it look like this one?
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/pages/picture_pages/faq_bristle.html

[Nu2SW]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140827IMAGE_00123.jpg

That is a peanut worm, no way it looks like a bristleworm.

[tiburone9162003]

cant be a cucumber huh? this worm its only 1 color like brown,i seen this little one that are light red with pink,but they always hiddin,this big worm comes out sometime even when light it on...