please identify! unknown worm
- Thread starter racenrich
- Start date
sheracr123
Member
I don't know for sure, but is doesn't look like any of my bristle worms. Maybe there are more than 1 species of them???
morrislr
New Member
I have a 50 gallon saltwater. In the crushed coral is an entire empire of creatures.
There are fine bristly red worms about 1/32 inch wide and 1/2 inch long. When a bit of flake hits the coral, they pull it under.
There 1/4 inch larger worms.
There are sort of pill bugs.
There is a larger white creature that pulls snails out of their shells.
Can anyone suggest a book that covers these creatures?
There are fine bristly red worms about 1/32 inch wide and 1/2 inch long. When a bit of flake hits the coral, they pull it under.
There 1/4 inch larger worms.
There are sort of pill bugs.
There is a larger white creature that pulls snails out of their shells.
Can anyone suggest a book that covers these creatures?
bdhough
Active Member
Jullian Sprungs Invertebrets Book is great for inverts.
That picture is a frikin huge fire worm ie bristle worm. The nasty kind. I personally would get rid of it. When a bristle worm gets that big they can sometimes be a problem. Some people may say to keep it though. As for the other smaller bristle worms keep them. You will also have a plethora of different worms throughout the tank all of which are beneficial.
As for the white creature need a better explanaition as to what it is. Is it snail like, crab like, shrimp like? What size snails is it killing? Are you sure its killing the snails or eating them after they die? There is a HUGE difference.... Alot of inverts are scavengers and only a few will actively kill something and eat it. The majority will eat dead and dying specimens.
That picture is a frikin huge fire worm ie bristle worm. The nasty kind. I personally would get rid of it. When a bristle worm gets that big they can sometimes be a problem. Some people may say to keep it though. As for the other smaller bristle worms keep them. You will also have a plethora of different worms throughout the tank all of which are beneficial.
As for the white creature need a better explanaition as to what it is. Is it snail like, crab like, shrimp like? What size snails is it killing? Are you sure its killing the snails or eating them after they die? There is a HUGE difference.... Alot of inverts are scavengers and only a few will actively kill something and eat it. The majority will eat dead and dying specimens.
bdhough
Active Member
Its definitely a bristle worm and the segmented bristle worms seem to get bigger and badder from what i've seen. But that doesn't make it bad for your tank necessarily. So long as you can tolerate how he looks, and so long as it isn't killing livestock or eating corals then i would keep it. But a worm as big as he has i would get rid of personally. Or maybe set up his own one gallon tank and keep him as a pet 
bang guy
Moderator
I agree with bdhough that it's a Fire Worm. I'm not so convinced that it's going to be anything but a benefit to your tank. There is a Fireworm that looks similar to yours that eats Gorgonians. I don't know how to tell if that's the one you have or not unless you see it eat a gorg.
racenrich
Member
thanks for all the info.
Kinda thought it was a bristle worm. NASTY is all i can say. Freaked me out. looked small till i pulled it out, with forceps i might add. Left him in a empty bucket overnight and was still alive this morning. Hes going to become composte!
Im for sure not going to put that thing in back my tank.
Tang,
I dont have any feather dusters in the 55g yet, but there are two in the 90g.
I have a gallery on reefcentral, check it out.
RJK
Kinda thought it was a bristle worm. NASTY is all i can say. Freaked me out. looked small till i pulled it out, with forceps i might add. Left him in a empty bucket overnight and was still alive this morning. Hes going to become composte!
Im for sure not going to put that thing in back my tank.
Tang,
I dont have any feather dusters in the 55g yet, but there are two in the 90g.
I have a gallery on reefcentral, check it out.
RJK