Pink worms under rocks in my tank??

[nornrad]

I was breaking down a tank last night and I saw these worm-like things (think of small pink earthworms with legs like a millipede) WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY? Also, there are these little white dots EVERYWHERE (some kind of worm with a shell?) WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY? And more importantly, HOW DO I GET RID OF THEM???
Thanks,
Dennis

 

[harial]

they might be bristle worms. hard to tell without a pic. but your discription seems to fit. Some people think they are benifical as long as they do not get too big. But if you have a big problem with them you might consider buying a trap for them. I see them all the time on that 'big auction site'(hint hint) just type in 'bristle worm' into the search box and it should turn up a number of traps. there are also traps for sale on this site. but before you do anything look up pictures of bristle worms on google images or something and make sure they are infact the same thing. If they aren't then I do not know.
hope that helped
Harial

 

[bigarn]

Yep ... Bristleworms. They're beneficial members of the clean up crew. The white things are either pods or spirodade worms (sp) which are also good.

 

[nornrad]

Thanks for the info. I found the particular Bristle worm - FIREWORM - and a picture of it can be found by google seaslugforum & polychaete (it is picture A).
As for the little white dots, they look like picture C.
After reading about the fireworms, I'm glad I didn't try to pick one up! Will fish eat them? How do you stop the spiropod things?

 

[keonia]

Normrad, get rid of that link before the Mods get ya!! Links to other sites are prohibited.
I think it was Reefnut who posted a whole thread of hitchhikers.. I experienced what you experienced, I was like whoooo-- i didn't buy anything like that. you can search for B.W. on this site too.

 

[nornrad]

I looked for the WORMUS GIGANTUS on this site, but there were no pictures left of it !
Still nothing about those little white dot /pods...whatever. My tank looks like its has a bad case of POX!
And while I'm at it, I have a Koran Angel fish that I can't tell if he's maturing or sick. He's half grey/silver horizontally (grey on top). Someone posted once that the Activated Carbon is discoloring him? Or is he just a slow grower?
Thanks,
Dennis

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by nornrad
Still nothing about those little white dot /pods...whatever. My tank looks like its has a bad case of POX!
Try a search on "Spirobidae".

 

[nornrad]

What can I get that would eat them?
I can easily scrape off the glass, but they've covered all the rock (not LR), coral, shells, etc and it looks like a disease!

 

[bang guy]

There are no reef safe animals that will eat them that I know of. They are a natural part of a healthy reef tank.

 

[nornrad]

I don't have a reef tank! I have a FO tank!

 

[nornrad]

What WOULD eat them?

 

[benter]

nothing eats them..thats why they are so prolific..they are not bad just scrape them off the glass and let them be..they seem to come and go with time

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by nornrad
What WOULD eat them?
Most starfish, Most triggers.

 

[benter]

oops, sorry then bang,I have a humu humu, and a star trigger, and neither one of them mess with them....maybe thet are just weird though..

 

[xjayx]

if your tank is still new, then you're going to get spiroids and lots of them.
They will eventually die off as your tank matures and the water quality improves.
If you've got to many, just scrape them off.
It's just a natural part of younger maturing tanks...
my skimmer and filter get covered by spiroids.
As for the bristle worms, I wouldn't get rid of them if they aren't causing any problems or eating anything.
Since you've got a fish only tank, there's no coral for them to mess with.
they can only help clean up your tank.