Worms in live rock

[Gobie74]

I've been curing my live rock since November 30th and today was the first day I've noticed something alive on it. ( well, alive and not in the process of dieing off ).

Just before the lights went off I saw a small gray worm emerging from a hole in the rock. It looked like it was picking things off the rock to eat.

Upon closer inspection with a red flashlight ( lights had gone off by that point ), I saw many more. At least one per rock. When I used a normal white flashlight, they seemed to shy away as if they were light sensitive, but didn't totally retreat into the rock.

I wasn't able to get a good picture with my point and click camera. I'll have a friend bring over her high end camera with a macro lens to see if I can get a decent picture.

But from my description, does anyone have a guess what they might be? Are they desirable? If not, anything I should do to get rid of them?

[sasscuba]

Is this it? http://www.melevsreef.com/id/digitate_hydroid.jpg

[Spuds725]

There are very few harmful (bristle) worms that hitch hike in live rock-- for the most part they are very beneficial (good detrivores) and will help keep your substrate (sand or crushed coral) clean...

More then likely they looked like something in one of these pics...

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=bristle+worms&btnG=Search+Images

[Myka]

I think I have the same thing on my uncured LR from Fiji and Tonga. Mine are definately NOT bristleworms - they don't have the bristles. The ones I have are pretty greyish, and when I pulled on one I couldn't pull it out of the rock, it kind of "winced" back into the hole a bit, but couldn't draw itself all the way in...they don't seem to be active although I haven't checked at night. I noticed some fairly vibrant red/burgundy on one of them when I was peering into the hole...so I am wondering if they are tube worms ("anemones")?

[Gobie74]

There aren't any bristles on them. They mostly resemble a gray earthworm.

From Spuds' link, the one that they look most like is http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/fguide/kc3803-48t.jpg&imgrefurl=http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/fguide/annelida.html&h=186&w=250&sz=10&hl=en&sig2=r-7ttXPuWRrHI5ezQSOHVQ&start=17&tbnid=u7IxspX_koeOeM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=111&ei=9kuPRYWlGZTEaNjzqIEK&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbristle%2Bworms%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DG
but more gray in color.

sasscuba, that's not them. Mine look gray and have no bristtles, they also appear to have a larger diameter body than the one in that picture.

[Myka]

It sounds like you have the same thing as me. I just tried to get a photo, but I can't see any that are sticking out of their holes at all...

[casingbill]

hmmmm...funny that u mention this....i also for the first time found something i haven't seen. i didn't have a red lens so i used a transparent bottle of reddish car wash soap...lol...anyway, even with "red lens" it moved back into the rock. looked almost like several tentacles extending from one rock..couldn't tell what color though....definately no bristles

[bertoni]

You might be seeing a spaghetti worm, a hair worm, or perhaps a peanut worm (terebellid, cirratulid, and sipunculid, respectively). A photo might help a lot.

[Myka]

I think mine are the peanut worms (sipunculid)...

[casingbill]

yup....thats it...peanut worm...they are on most of my rocks also

[Gobie74]

bertoni,

thanks for those names, made it easy to search, and yup, they are most likely peanut worms (sipunculid).

I did a google search for sipunculid and the first link shows a great picture ( http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=sipunculid )

So, now that we know what they are, any thoughts on if they are desirable or not, or if having them is a good or bad sign?

[Myka]

I think mine are dead or dying... maybe they are tough though since yours are still alive! :)

[bertoni]

They are good to have. They eat detritus.

[Nano Chris]

I got a great picture the other day!
http://www.justuploadit.com/files/1/Reef%20Tank/100_1930.jpg

[casingbill]

good pic Chris...the second any of mine sense light, they are gone.

myka, there were a lot of dead ones sticking out the rocks also...i had no idea any were alive til last night.

[t5Nitro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8825559#post8825559 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Criminal#58369
I got a great picture the other day!
http://www.justuploadit.com/files/1/Reef%20Tank/100_1930.jpg
That is exactly what I have and I just posted to ask about it. So that is a peanut worm or what are you saying?

[bertoni]

That looks like a peanut worm to me. A nice one, at that.