Good, Bad or just plain UGLY

[ophiura]

Originally posted by ocikitty
I am very confused on whether this creature is hazardous.
There is another thread on a huge worm like this. I think it is "Steveweast worm" or something...I'll have to look it up. What kind of creature would lick something to death? Not a nice one, IMO
I would be tempted to throw it out. Buuuuuuuuut, (I am modifying my "get it out post" as I read more)...they may be pretty harmless except bumping in to your fish, apparently.
I've looked up some big worms on this site, and read the article from above, and people seem to have a few. Tough call...do you have corals now? If it was the coral eating kind, and you don't have corals, then what would it be eating? I reckon then that it is the scavenging kind. So you are right, now I am confused too! :notsure: If you do think that it is potentially harming things just by crawling around, then that might be grounds for removal.
But I am a polychaete wormaphobe.

 

[darthmatt]

Whether it's safe or not, common sense says the bigger it gets, the bigger its appetite. If they eat algea and detritus when they're an inch, when they get to be a foot, they are gonna need more to eat than just poop on the bottom of the tank. Thats when they start harming the good stuff in the tank.

 

[fishnerd]

If you decide to get rid of it, please be careful, as the spines feel alot like fiberglass insulation (if you ever had that pleasure). It won't kill you, but it will ruin your day. I would use a CLEAN pair of channel lock pliers.
I used to be a commercial invertebrate collector in the FL Keys and saw them all the time under rocks. 14" seems to be a mutant, as the biggest ones I have seen were 6-8".
BE CAREFUL!!! THEY HURT!!!

 

[bang guy]

That's a nice looking worm, I'd keep it unless you see it eating coral or damage to coral around its den.
Contrary to popular belief, detrivores are detrivores no matter how big they get.

 

[thangbom]

well there we have it!!! all mighty BANG GUY spoke and all in in order!!! he he....

 

[greatfullreefer]

I have the identical worm in my system...i have never seen both ends at once so i have no idea on the length...its about half an inch wide. I have never seen it show any interest in corals but then again i feed it once in a while. It comes out when i feed my tank and will feed right from my tongs. Until i see it being a threat or detrimental to my system i will leave him be..he is actually a joy to watch and believe it or not my cleaner shrimp clean him../boggle

 

[dcr]

I have a ton of pink bristle worms around...including a rather large and scary one. I am going to get him out because I think my serpent star is beginning to starve because they get all his food.

 

[clown52]

I have had a bunch of these.
I always see the little pink ones from time to time and whenever I move rock around I fing these guys.
The largest I have found yet was about a foot. I just threw out 3 that were about 5 or 6 inches each a month ago. I have another that has avoided me.
I have one that I have only seen 4 inches of. He lives near my Pepermint shrimp. Every time I feed my shrimp he comes out looking for the food. Would a detrivore "look" for frozen brine shrimp? I am not sure if they would or not.
He looks exactly like the one shown here.
Should I remove him?
I have always tried to remove the larger ones. It has been a year since I added any live rock and I still find them from time to time. I'll try to add a pic when I get home in about 30 minutes.
(edit) Well e wont come out now...go figure.

 

[clown52]

Oh, and I think that was a totaly differnt kind of worm SteveWest had in his tank.

 

[ocikitty]

Hey Clown52
I just moved to Atlanta from Memphis. What part do you live in? You go to U of M? Do you go to Kermit's? I sure miss Kermit's they always had such great looking livestock.

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by DCR
I am going to get him out because I think my serpent star is beginning to starve because they get all his food.
Finally! An excellent reason to remove Bristle Worms.

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by Clown52
I Would a detrivore "look" for frozen brine shrimp? I am not sure if they would or not.
If they are dead or dying then they will smell like food.

 

[wrassecal]

Originally posted by ophiura
But I am a polychaete wormaphobe.

I think Steveweast's was a
Eukarya
Animalia
Sipuncula
Sipunculida
Phascollosomatidae
Phascolosoma
agassizii
peanut worm

 

[clown52]

ocikitty - I live just inside the 240 loop off park. Ya I love Kermit's. Just got some cool lookin zoos there about a week ago. I even though about gettin a weekend job there for the discount.

 

[ocikitty]

I lived in Collierville until we moved 18 months ago. I also went to Memphis State (that shows my age). Good to hear from a fellow Memphian.