reefgeek84 Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I found him climbing on the rocks in the seahorse tank...any ideas of what he is? Notice the white appendages coming off its head (or what seems to be the front of his body) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Weird looking sucker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveweast Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 To me, it looks like a very small baby eunicid worm. I've pulled one 7 feet and one 5 feet out of my tank. They hitchhike in on Fiji liverock and they will eat everything....including softies. In the wild, these things grow to over 30 feet. The white appendages are mouth parts....there are usually five. http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted January 27, 2007 Author Share Posted January 27, 2007 "It's a polychaete in the genus Eunice, family Eunicidae. The white is on the tentacles & other anterior appendages. There's a similar one on my page here: http://www.nhm.org/guana/bvi-invt/b...m-04/h0034a.htm " This is what someone answered on RC with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted January 27, 2007 Author Share Posted January 27, 2007 To me, it looks like a very small baby eunicid worm. I've pulled one 7 feet and one 5 feet out of my tank. They hitchhike in on Fiji liverock and they will eat everything....including softies. In the wild, these things grow to over 30 feet. The white appendages are mouth parts....there are usually five. http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm everything includes??? does that mean LPS, inverts, SPS, fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippin61 Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 im sure if they could get a hold of it, theyd eat it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveweast Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 everything includes??? does that mean LPS' date=' inverts, SPS, fish?[/quote'] They are scavangers....but, I had them eat mushrooms, leathers, anemones, ricordea, frogspawn, and the neighbor's cat.....my sps seemed untouched though. They have an enormous appetite.....the worm that I had completely cleared a 5 inch square of ricordea patch in one night....right down to the rock. They tend to stay in one area... creating a lair within either rock, piping, or even the sand by creating tunnels through secretion. When the food runs out in that area....they move to the next section and create another lair. When I had my 7 foot worm, he basically could reach every inch of my tank without completely leaving his lair. While watching a night, I noticed that he tended to forage on the same route each night. You're lucky to catch one in the open....usually, you have to find their lair...then remove the lair with the worm inside. I estimated that from the time the Fiji rock was introduced....to the time that I caught him....that he was growing 3 inches a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted January 27, 2007 Author Share Posted January 27, 2007 They are scavangers....but' date=' I had them eat mushrooms, leathers, anemones, ricordea, frogspawn, and the neighbor's cat.....my sps seemed untouched though. They have an enormous appetite.....the worm that I had completely cleared a 5 inch square of ricordea patch in one night....right down to the rock. They tend to stay in one area... creating a lair within either rock, piping, or even the sand by creating tunnels through secretion. When the food runs out in that area....they move to the next section and create another lair. When I had my 7 foot worm, he basically could reach every inch of my tank without completely leaving his lair. While watching a night, I noticed that he tended to forage on the same route each night. You're lucky to catch one in the open....usually, you have to find their lair...then remove the lair with the worm inside. I estimated that from the time the Fiji rock was introduced....to the time that I caught him....that he was growing 3 inches a month.[/quote'] Wow apparently I am very lucky to have found...he is going to the giant porcelain god(clap) thank you for all your insight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippin61 Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 Wow apparently I am very lucky to have found...he is going to the giant porcelain god(clap) thank you for all your insight... great.. just what we need, a giant 30 foot mutant worm in the pdx sewer system. and you thought alligators in the sewers were bad (laugh) (laugh) (laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanz Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 don't flush him! I'm pretty sure someone who has a mantis wants him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greefer Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Um, I think I have one of these eunicid worms in my tank. It's light green and fairly small. It's really quick so I've never been able to take a picture of it. However, I have seen the telltale five tentacles with one tentacle coming right out of the forehead. It's never preyed on anything in my tank, so I've left it alone. You guys think I should take it out? It's hiding out on a rock full of mushrooms so I'm not sure what method you guys would recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Um, I think I have one of these eunicid worms in my tank. It's light green and fairly small. It's really quick so I've never been able to take a picture of it. However, I have seen the telltale five tentacles with one tentacle coming right out of the forehead. It's never preyed on anything in my tank, so I've left it alone. You guys think I should take it out? It's hiding out on a rock full of mushrooms so I'm not sure what method you guys would recommend. If you can without too much trouble take the rock you see him in out of the tank.....i would wait until you saw him to confirm hes there and give the rock a freshwater dip. He should come out and your shrooms will be fine. Ive had a couple of them inthe past as well. A far cry from steves at a couple feet long.............i actually thought they were pretty big until i saw his. lol fwiw....both of the ones i found were a medium green color...........not blackish like steves or brandons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greefer Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 I notice there are also some feather duster worms on that same rock. Will a fw dip makes those guys evacuate as well? Will a fw dip of the rock cause die-off that I need to be concerned about? I mean will I be able to put the rock back into the tank right away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Ive never had any little fan worms vacate when FW dipping anything. I wouldnt guarantee it or anything though. ; ) I wont guarantee that the eunicid will come out either.......but more than likely he will. Its a fairly easy way to usually erradicate things if the rock can easily be removed. I will guarantee that it wont cause any die of to speak of or cause a cycle though. Any sponges are toast. The rock can go back in the tank just fine regardless. usually if you try to pluck those worms out you will just rip them in half and wont really be rid of him. I ripped one of mine in half a couple of times before i finally got him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I want to see a mantis take on a 6' bristle worm. I'd buy a ticket for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly guy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Holly, have you seen the video of the mantis taking on the blue ring octopus?? Gets the upper hand on one of the most dangerous animals in the ocean............. http://www.reefcentral.com/vid/bluering . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbrownies Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 GEEZ! how big is that mantis? and that poor octopus is just so cute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Steve I found one in my prop tank recently,,, I suspect they could come in on items other than rock. I havent added any rock for over a year, and it would have to make it through the pump to get up top in the system. I have a very good feeling it came in on a coral, either from someones tank, or from the propagators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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