Scary, scary worm!!!!!

[DeletedAccount]

Lately, I seem to spend more time looking at my tank from underneath, watching the goby/prawn and worms, than I spend looking from above. There has been a large spot that I have thought was live rock showing for quite some time. Today the "live rock" moved! This worm was HUGE!!!!!! I would guess he was the diameter of a large pinky finger or small ring finger and he was pretty long, maybe 12 inches. He is not one of the red bristles (matter of fact I see much fewer of those lately, maybe I found the culprit). He is almost tan to flesh colored with obvious veins. I could not tell if he had "legs" on the side, but he sure was SCARY! Anyone have monster worms like that????

[Jenn]

So funny you post this. I was moving one of my tanks yesterday and when I picked a piece of rock, there was this evil nasty worm-like thing! It was only about 1" long, but also was the same color w/ veins, but it had a lot of these thorn-like spikes on each side of it! Then I lifted another piece, and 2 more!!! I tried to take a pic, but I just couldn't get it to come out good.

[captexas]

Almost sounds like some type of sea cucumber. Hopefully someone else with more knowledge of hitchhiker/sea creatures can help out.

[Chris]

I believe Minh said he found a few (3 or 4) 3 foot long worms when he took down his crashed tank. :o

I had one that was at least 14" long that looks similar to an earthworm. Quick little guy... I was never able to catch him.

[captexas]

Wow, I didn't find anything in my 58g when I took it down after a year. Glad I didn't, I wouldn't know what to do if I found something that weird in there!

[AlienAnchovies]

dude yesterday i upgraded my mini bow7 to a regular 20 gallon and when i picked up the largest piece of live rock i saw a huuuuuuuge bristle worm about 8 inches long, scared the living crap out of me

[DeletedAccount]

This guy is quick, quick, quick too. And fat!

[R.Allard]

i think the tech name is trouserwormouselongotta..HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH
roflmaooo :-D :-D :-D

[DeletedAccount]

He actually uses the same paths and tunnels that the Pistol and Goby use.... Weird.... At least he doesn't eat shrimp and gobies!!!

[Isis]

I had a really long polychaete worm living in my sand bed years ago. It didn't do anything, just lived in the sand bed like the other wormies in there. Just beacuse it is big an ugly doesn't mean it is harmful. If in doubt of it's motives, isolate in another tank and see if you can identify it.

[DeletedAccount]

I am not in doubt of his motives. He can squiggle around as much as he wants. He is just freaky looking! Looks like a really long slimy finger in the sand. As big as he is, and since nothing has been put in the tank for quite a while, he has been an occupant for a very long time. No major problems have occured. It is just interesting seeing some of the "other life" in the tanks!

[Isis]

The one I had in my tank was about a foot long, kind of brownish-pink and a definite polychaete...It is always a good sign when you have micro (macro) life growing in your tank to add to the dynamics.

[phage]

I have at least 5 (have seen 5 at once) worms that are about pinky sized and between 8-12 inches long. They have been in the DSB for at least 3 years (i bought the tank and DSB from a guy) so they've had plenty of time to grow. Just basic looking bristle worms, just HUGE. Havent had any problems with them and fish or corals, so I'm not too worried.

[brewercm]

For the longest all of my bristle worms wouldn't come out except when the lights were out. As of the last week they've started coming out at feeding time and some of them are pretty big, nothing like a foot long but several are about 4 inches and growing.

Didn't know they could be trained to eat at a specific time. :shock:

[Sherri]

Thanks a lot Misti...now I'm curious as to what I've got on the underside. Scared to look but now I'm curious!!!!!!! :shock:

Sherri

[DeletedAccount]

Spotlighting from the bottom of the tank is a learning experience! (Can make you weary of sticking your hand in the sand, but...)

[brewercm]

Thanks Joshua, so far I haven't noticed them do any damage of any kind. If they do I can always put an arrow crab in there for a bit to thin out the herds. I suppose if they start getting too thinned out I can move the crab to the fuge once I get it up and running.