Utah Reefs Homepage
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Help!! Something Eating My Tank!! (EUNICE)
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Help!! Something Eating My Tank!! (EUNICE)

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
adzmcss View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: August 27 2005
Location: West Valley
Status: Offline
Points: 321
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote adzmcss Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Help!! Something Eating My Tank!! (EUNICE)
    Posted: October 23 2010 at 3:08am
Hello people! It's been along time since i've been on the boards!! (been busy with life) ! lol

Anyways Some of you might know a little bit about my tank from the past...I had this weird problem with fish just disappearing, snails dead and cleaned out ,and certain corals missing or eatin...It was zoas and acans mostly! Well I thought for these past 2 years that it was my little purple reef lobster that was eating and killing everything! But now I'm starting to think it's not him and it's a evil worm that's living in the sand.. Awhile back I was feeding my acans some krill at night time and I noticed the sand was moving kinda like a little earthquake..You can tell that there was something moving down about 2 inches below.. I thought it was just one these sand snails I have that was making all that movement...And then all of a sudden I see this head poke out in the sand. this thing looked pretty cool, it was a worm for sure and it had tentacles for his mouth or whatever it is..It had kind of this rainbow glitter look to his skin..I looked it up and it's called a eunice worm or a bobbet worm they call.. They say they can reach huge lengths 10 or more feet!

Well last night I fed my acans before I went to bed and I woke up and one of my three acans that I have on the sand was gone.. Turns out it was taken completly under the sand and was dinner for what i think was the worm..  What should I do guys?
Back to Top
downhill_biker View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: February 28 2009
Location: West Jordan, UT
Status: Offline
Points: 2167
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote downhill_biker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 23 2010 at 12:20pm
I would watch for it at night after feeding and see if you cant catch it. The only time I have seen one before the guy had to tear his whole reef apart to get it. It was a really big one.

You can see it here:
http://oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm
Make sure you post your best pictures every month in our POTM forum.
Back to Top
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 23 2010 at 3:05pm
Place a chunk of frozen food in the middle of a 1/2" diameter pipe that has been made in a U shape (longer length less space, no need to glue it) and bury it just under the surface of the sand. Watch it that night and when you see that the worm has gone inside lift out the pipe open end first and be ready with some latex gloves to grab the worm and pull it out as quickly as possible. It may break up but at least you will have the head which, if you're lucky will leave the body to die. Good luck and tell us how it goes. You might uncover the worm as you are burying the pipe. Grab it and rip it outta there.Smile
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
Back to Top
philhender View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 28 2010
Location: Clearfield
Status: Offline
Points: 229
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote philhender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2010 at 1:43am
If you catch it... don't forget about a pic... I wanna see this one.
I asked the Lord for the blessing of Patience... he gave me 6 kids!

125g Reef / 55g Sump-Fuge
Back to Top
adzmcss View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: August 27 2005
Location: West Valley
Status: Offline
Points: 321
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote adzmcss Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2010 at 3:31pm
Sorry guys my internet was down again! I was gonna write a whole lot more but my computer was dieing when I was writing it so I had to cut it short!

Well turns out the other day, the next day after the disappearance of my acan...It was late like 2:30 am and I happen to get up and look at the tank..I noticed another one of my acans was half way under the sand...Luckily I pulled it out before it was taken completely under...There were 7 heads at least and maybe 3-4 were chewed on...Now 2 days later it looks like it's gonna recover...I really need to get this thing OUT! It killed my dark side of the moon and almost killed my cherry bombs...I paid alot of money for these crazy rainbow colored acans on the internet...So it's a big blow that i lost one of them... also all the other zoas in the past...

Thanks Mark, I'm gonna have to try that...But i'm not sure if it will work I read someone say that since the worm is usually really long if you try and make a trap it will just place it's head in there and take the food! lol  I hope i don't have to take my whole take apart...Well maybe I can just upgrade my tank.. I've always wanted a 75 or 90 gallon tank instead of my 55...But i don't know exactly where the worm is staying...he could be in one of the rocks idk..I've seen him maybe like 3 times in the same area in the sand.. so maybe that's where he's always at...
Back to Top
ninja_brandon View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 29 2009
Location: Salt Lake City
Status: Offline
Points: 260
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ninja_brandon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2010 at 3:49pm
This is very interesting.  I would love to see a picture when you catch it!
Back to Top
Crazy Tarzan View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: September 12 2003
Location: Riverton, WY
Status: Offline
Points: 1681
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Crazy Tarzan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2010 at 3:56pm
if it's only a 55 I'd tear it apart to get him out (then you can redo the tank, or get a bigger one like you mentioned!), the amount of $ he will cost you in the long run vs the tear down and set up leans very favorably towards the tear down and set up--especially since as it gets bigger it will probably eat more!
Was that in there yesterday? Casper--WY windier than ?

Down to a 20, soon to double or nothing
Back to Top
Chris Scott View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: May 20 2010
Location: Foothill, SLC
Status: Offline
Points: 334
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chris Scott Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2010 at 4:25pm
that's creepy!  Hopefully it isn't 7 feet long like in the link from downhill_biker!
55g Bowfront Corner Reef
Back to Top
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2010 at 8:29am
I mean no offense but why do you still have coral on the sand?

Also, try not to be so squeamish about this. You missed a perfect opportunity to reach in and grab it when it was pulling the coral under.

Maybe I didn't explain it well. The food goes in the very back of the long "U" shaped pipe. Whichever end the worm goes in, even if just it's head and part of it's body, when you pull up the pipe you do so by squeezing the worm so it cannot leave the pipe. As you pull out the pipe with thew worm hanging, hopefully the entire worm will come out of the sand.

I might as well offer. I'd be happy to remove the worm for a small fee. Smile


Edited by Mark Peterson - October 26 2010 at 8:34am
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
Back to Top
Aquatic Evolution View Drop Down
Pet Store
Pet Store
Avatar

Joined: July 07 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1332
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aquatic Evolution Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2010 at 1:25pm
Bad advise Mark...DO NOT GRAB IT!   They have very powerfull and sharp mandibles it will cause a nasty wound.  We recently pulled one out of our tank that was 52".  They call them Bobbit Worms for a reason...
Back to Top
rwccomptech View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: April 03 2010
Location: Magna
Status: Offline
Points: 505
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rwccomptech Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2010 at 2:06pm
I feel sorry for bobbit his wife bit his wooo hooooo off
Ron
20g
60x turnover
30" current pc fixture
Back to Top
jonafriendj View Drop Down
Guest
Guest


Joined: October 01 2007
Location: Pleasant Grove
Status: Offline
Points: 1239
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonafriendj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2010 at 3:03pm
There are some freaky videos of those on you tube! For sure don't grab that thing!
Pleasant Grove
Back to Top
ninja_brandon View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 29 2009
Location: Salt Lake City
Status: Offline
Points: 260
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ninja_brandon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2010 at 4:12pm
Back to Top
kellerexpress View Drop Down
Guest
Guest


Joined: December 24 2008
Location: Spanish Fork
Status: Offline
Points: 1315
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kellerexpress Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2010 at 4:41pm
Ya I wouldn't touch it!
IM 30L
Kessil A160we x2
Back to Top
bugzme View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: May 22 2004
Location: West Jordan
Status: Offline
Points: 4815
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bugzme Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2010 at 8:51pm
I would let Mark come and grab it!
Jeff
125 tank
50 gallon sump
T-5 lighting
Rum drinker, Carbon User
I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!!
Back to Top
kellerexpress View Drop Down
Guest
Guest


Joined: December 24 2008
Location: Spanish Fork
Status: Offline
Points: 1315
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kellerexpress Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2010 at 10:08pm
LOL!
IM 30L
Kessil A160we x2
Back to Top
Mark Peterson View Drop Down
Paid Member
Paid Member
Avatar

Joined: June 19 2002
Location: Murray
Status: Offline
Points: 21436
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 27 2010 at 8:58am
Originally posted by Mark Peterson Mark Peterson wrote:

I might as well offer. I'd be happy to remove the worm for a small fee. Smile


Offer still stands.
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:
www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244
Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
Back to Top
Dion Richins View Drop Down
Presidency
Presidency
Avatar

Joined: April 03 2005
Location: Farmington
Status: Offline
Points: 11664
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dion Richins Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 27 2010 at 9:03am
Originally posted by rwccomptech rwccomptech wrote:

I feel sorry for bobbit his wife bit his wooo hooooo off
"Carving knife" my friend. Just like a turkey!!
Bad "censored" Cabinets
Best quality in the valley! He is one sexy bald guy, even with out a finger!(MAC)
Back to Top
DanhNgo View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 04 2009
Location: West Valley Cty
Status: Offline
Points: 1013
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DanhNgo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 27 2010 at 10:02pm
yummy. if you get it, I'll cook it for Mark. Tempura worm.Big smile
200 Gal Reef

25 Gal Nano Reef
Back to Top
philhender View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
Avatar

Joined: January 28 2010
Location: Clearfield
Status: Offline
Points: 229
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote philhender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 27 2010 at 11:15pm
so, questioned for you seasoned reefers... Is this worm in any way beneficial? I mean not in the display, but in the refugium if there is a DSB? I'd think the sand stirring would be beneficial, I guess the question would be reproduction... can they pass to display? or not even worth the thought?
I asked the Lord for the blessing of Patience... he gave me 6 kids!

125g Reef / 55g Sump-Fuge
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.516 seconds.