bobbit worm

[shobby]

Apparently I have a bobbit worm, it is eating my corals, and chased my tang to a new area. Just wondering how to get rid of it. Bought an arrow crab, but not sure if he will do the job. Help please before this thing eats everything.
Shelley

 

[flower]

Find out what rock it is living in by watching it under moonlights. Remove that rock to a bucket and pour extra salty water in the bucket. everything in the rock will leave it for a moment...using gloves grab the worm out and after the amphipods and such return to the rock, return it back to the tank.
OR
Using gloves and after removing the rock...Use a metal toothpick thing from the store and dig the critter out. Just make sure you get the entire critter or it will grow into a new worm.
Or
if you don't care for it being live rock..soak it in freshwater and kill everything in it alive. Make sure the worm is there.

 

[shobby]

I know where he stays but appears to be under the rock, could that be possible or is it a definite in the rock thing?
shelley

 

[shobby]

how long will he be out of the rock? Long enough to get the rock back of the bucket or is like a two second time frame. Problem is that a gobie nd a shrimp live under same rock, will they be alright to disturb them?
shelley

 

[shobby]

thinking back, I had a serpent star that his legs slowly dissappeared and later so did he, could this thing have been the problem?
Shell

 

[flower]

Sorry I just got back on the site:
It is kind of hard to tell where he lives, they can get pretty long. You will have to check the rock once you remove it to make sure you have him.
It is just like one minute before the critters adjust and go back inside the rock...so be ready to just grab the rock out. Then you can just pick up what you want to keep and toss it back into the tank, or remove the worm and place the rock back in the bucket and the critters will return to it.
No the worm didn't do anything to the starfish. It sounds like bad parameters, like high nitrates or acclimation too fast or starvation.
Your other critters will find a new home or return to the rock once it's replaced. So don't be afraid to disturb them.