What's burrowing in my LR???

noj3333 · 05/05/2012, 05:49 PM

Well I wish I could post a picture of this but it’s kind of tough. After watching my tank for a while I noticed something, it looks like there’s some type of creature burrowing into my live rock. Every 10-15 minutes I’ll see a puff of really fine sand shoot out of a piece of LR. The puff of sand goes about 4 inches up into the water before the flow carries it away. What is it? I think I found his den, you can see the hole in person, and there’s some really fine sand around it’s opening, but I haven’t seen the actual animal. Should I let him live, or is he a unwanted hitch hiker. If he’s unwanted I was thinking boiling water shot into the hole should take care of him…

macktab · 05/05/2012, 05:58 PM

Is the hole in the sand, at the edge of the rock base - or do you mean from within the rock at some distance up?

SushiGirl · 05/05/2012, 06:36 PM

When I saw that a long time ago in one of my tanks, it was a peanut worm.

Paros · 05/05/2012, 06:36 PM

try feeding the tank to see if it comes out and identify it or get a pic of it from there.

noj3333 · 05/05/2012, 07:05 PM

It's burrowing in the actual rock, not at the base in the sand...
I'll see if i can get it to come out by feeding it, the hole can't be bigger then 1/8 or 3/16 inches across.

philosophile · 05/05/2012, 07:17 PM

Lots of worms live in live rock holes... Bristle worms will do that, but they don't actually burrow or make the hole themselves... They'll ingest sand and poop it out after digesting the bacteria and algae on it... You might just be seeing that.

macktab · 05/05/2012, 07:49 PM

Never seen one, but web search for a peanut worm indicates it is a harmless detrivore. There is a youtube video of one and it pickes up sand and swallows it.
You need to get a look at him after the lights go out.

SushiGirl · 05/05/2012, 07:55 PM

This is the one that was making the dirt pile in my tank. It was huge.
peanut_worm.jpg

This is a different one, with some long feeders. Most are pretty short.
peanut_worm1b.jpg

Typical.
peanut_worm2.jpg

TjwBlake · 05/06/2012, 08:34 AM

Awesome!... not to highjack but this post and those pictures just answered a question that came up last night when I saw that exact same thing popping out of a hole in my rock.

05/05/2012, 05:49 PM	#1
noj3333 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Albany, New York Posts: 235	What's burrowing in my LR??? Well I wish I could post a picture of this but it’s kind of tough. After watching my tank for a while I noticed something, it looks like there’s some type of creature burrowing into my live rock. Every 10-15 minutes I’ll see a puff of really fine sand shoot out of a piece of LR. The puff of sand goes about 4 inches up into the water before the flow carries it away. What is it? I think I found his den, you can see the hole in person, and there’s some really fine sand around it’s opening, but I haven’t seen the actual animal. Should I let him live, or is he a unwanted hitch hiker. If he’s unwanted I was thinking boiling water shot into the hole should take care of him…

05/05/2012, 06:36 PM	#3
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	When I saw that a long time ago in one of my tanks, it was a peanut worm. __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

05/05/2012, 07:17 PM	#6
philosophile Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,149	Lots of worms live in live rock holes... Bristle worms will do that, but they don't actually burrow or make the hole themselves... They'll ingest sand and poop it out after digesting the bacteria and algae on it... You might just be seeing that. __________________ 90 gallon mixed reef XPS1000SSS skimmer, 2 radions gen 1, tunze osmolator w/ kalk dispenser, 70 lbs pukani, mp40w x2; 1 tomini, 1 clown 2 mandarins. Vinegar dosing, and micro bubble scrubbing.

05/05/2012, 07:55 PM	#8
SushiGirl Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX USA Posts: 8,267	This is the one that was making the dirt pile in my tank. It was huge. peanut_worm.jpg This is a different one, with some long feeders. Most are pretty short. peanut_worm1b.jpg Typical. peanut_worm2.jpg __________________ Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank

05/06/2012, 08:34 AM	#9
TjwBlake Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Kitchener, ON. Canada Posts: 404	Awesome!... not to highjack but this post and those pictures just answered a question that came up last night when I saw that exact same thing popping out of a hole in my rock. __________________ Current tank: JbJ Nanocube 28. 1 Falco Hawk, zoas, cabbage leather, trumpet coral, GSP, mushrooms, CUC Current Tank Info: JbJ Nanocube 28

05/05/2012, 05:58 PM	#2
macktab Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: MA Posts: 107	Is the hole in the sand, at the edge of the rock base - or do you mean from within the rock at some distance up?

05/05/2012, 06:36 PM	#4
Paros Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Parma Posts: 89	try feeding the tank to see if it comes out and identify it or get a pic of it from there.

05/05/2012, 07:05 PM	#5
noj3333 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Albany, New York Posts: 235	It's burrowing in the actual rock, not at the base in the sand... I'll see if i can get it to come out by feeding it, the hole can't be bigger then 1/8 or 3/16 inches across.

05/05/2012, 07:49 PM	#7
macktab Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: MA Posts: 107	Never seen one, but web search for a peanut worm indicates it is a harmless detrivore. There is a youtube video of one and it pickes up sand and swallows it. You need to get a look at him after the lights go out.