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View Full Version : worm - good or evil?

Mr31415
10/21/2007, 03:03 PM
i just discovered a large wormlike thing in my reef. It is night. The worm is about 7" long (stretched). It seemed attached to a piece of LR at one end, and was devouring a snail or something. A couple of seconds after i had shone the flashlight on it, it retracted. It is yellow, and segmented like a bristle worm or brittle star's leg - unlike a peanut worm, and no bristles.

Any opinions on whether it is good or bad?
loosecannon
10/21/2007, 03:09 PM
photo will help.
Mr31415
10/21/2007, 03:27 PM
not possible. It is shy, and has retracted. It is the first time i saw it, and only for a couple of seconds.
IndyReefMan
10/21/2007, 03:39 PM
Hard to say without a picture but it sounds like a Eunicid.
luke33
10/21/2007, 04:51 PM
I always pull them when they are that large. But a yellow one.....if you catch it definately take some pics!
bina770
10/21/2007, 05:20 PM
What about the worms with brissels. How do I get it out of the TANK. Catch the bastard?? I was told he came in on the live rock, ho do I get rid of it, besides the snail or fish wich eat them?
mikey3165
10/21/2007, 05:53 PM
it definately sounds like a eunicid worn because it has because you said it looks like a brittle stars leg so i would definately try and get that out of asap
Swatchguy
10/21/2007, 06:12 PM
I'll read somewhere that there are worm traps available on-line or DIY. Anyone have comments or plans to build one??
Thanks...I'm fairly new at hunting worms. I've have my tank for about 8 mos and this is the first time I've seen them. I have two.
Good or bad: I want them out NOW! Help!
luke33
10/21/2007, 07:23 PM
I bet if you have two.....you have many more you havne't seen. 99% are good for your tank. Its just those enucid's that are not cool. But yellow one's, that sounds suspicious.
demonsp
10/21/2007, 07:28 PM
Look in here. http://www.melevsreef.com/id/
Could be peanut worm or bristle worm. Peanut worms are safe. bristle worms whene small would be fine but after a certian size i think they become a preditor. And can be harmful to you if touched. Like a porcupine they leave venumos spikes in you.
IndyReefMan
10/21/2007, 08:23 PM
Eunicid's are extremely difficult to catch. They are very wary and as fast as lightening. They anchor themselves into a rock and will pull back in very quickly as soon as they sense danger. Put some red colored tissue paper over the lens of a flashlight and you will see it come out right after lights out on the tank. White light from a flashlight will scare it back into the rocks but red light will not. I had one and I never could catch it. It ate all my Xenias. Finally, it just died on its own and I found it laying on the rocks. Good luck.