identification of worm

[duane9]

I saw this worm swimming in my reef tank, I have recently lost an aneome, some mushrooms, candy aneome, and some soft polyps, brain coral and a flower pot. My water parameters were in line according to the lfs. Today I found this 6 to 7" hairy worm swimming, crawling in my tank. Could this be the reason my all my losses. My wife is getting upset with the lost and the dying of the creatures. Before we buy more we want to correct anything that is wrong.

Tank is 75 gal. About 120lb live rock. We use crushed coral over an underground filter with three power heads, 8 54w 48" T5's supplied by Reef Geek. We have 40 gal refugium with phosphate and carbon filters, plus reversed lighting with live grass and live mud, which then passes over crushed clam and oyster shells. Tank been running for close to 2 years.

I have a beautiful yellow tang, marroon clown and a lime green wrasse, and a hugh cleaner shrimp that are doing fantastic, except the clown who misses having an anenome around.

temp 79 to 80, ph about 7.5, no nitrate or nitrites. hardness about 120, by weekly 15% RO water changes. We add purple up and Kalkwasser dosing. Coraline grow is doing decent.

We would really like to have some healthy looking corals and mushrooms growing without the fear of them dying. Any help or ideas would be very greatfull as this hobby helps to reduce some stress with all the living colors.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140418DSC_0229-med.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140418DSC_0231.JPG
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140418DSC_0228-med.JPG

[duane9]

I think it could be a fire worm, is one this large capable of multipling? When it crawled in the live rock I found 2 smaller worms that were red in color and had some hairs on it's side similar to the larger 6 inch worm. I did remove the little worms. Is there anything else I should do?

[Elysia]

I'm a slug person, not a worm one, but it looks like a "regular" bristle to me. Is it the one that was "swimming?" Bristleworms are very capable of multiplying. Think bunnies, then multiply that. But the worms that we worry about eating corals have very obvious fang-like projections from the head/mouth -- these are the Eunice spp. worms called bobbit worms due to ... well ... you are from NJ!

Your pH is pretty low. Perhaps this is the problem you are having w/ your coral? Best to get it up to 8.2 or so.

[yiliyang]

That is a garden var fire worm, they do not eat healthy organisms.