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adzmcss
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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?
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downhill_biker
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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
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Mark Peterson
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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.
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philhender
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Posted: October 25 2010 at 1:43am |
If you catch it... don't forget about a pic... I wanna see this one.
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I asked the Lord for the blessing of Patience... he gave me 6 kids! 125g Reef / 55g Sump-Fuge
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adzmcss
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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...
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ninja_brandon
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Posted: October 25 2010 at 3:49pm |
This is very interesting. I would love to see a picture when you catch it!
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Crazy Tarzan
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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!
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Chris Scott
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Posted: October 25 2010 at 4:25pm |
that's creepy! Hopefully it isn't 7 feet long like in the link from downhill_biker!
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Mark Peterson
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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.
Edited by Mark Peterson - October 26 2010 at 8:34am
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Aquatic Evolution
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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...
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rwccomptech
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Posted: October 26 2010 at 2:06pm |
I feel sorry for bobbit his wife bit his wooo hooooo off
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jonafriendj
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Posted: October 26 2010 at 3:03pm |
There are some freaky videos of those on you tube! For sure don't grab that thing!
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ninja_brandon
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Posted: October 26 2010 at 4:12pm |
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kellerexpress
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Posted: October 26 2010 at 4:41pm |
Ya I wouldn't touch it!
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bugzme
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Posted: October 26 2010 at 8:51pm |
I would let Mark come and grab it!
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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!!
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kellerexpress
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Posted: October 26 2010 at 10:08pm |
LOL!
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: October 27 2010 at 8:58am |
Mark Peterson wrote:
I might as well offer. I'd be happy to remove the worm for a small fee.
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Offer still stands.
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Dion Richins
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Posted: October 27 2010 at 9:03am |
rwccomptech wrote:
I feel sorry for bobbit his wife bit his wooo hooooo off
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"Carving knife" my friend. Just like a turkey!!
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DanhNgo
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Posted: October 27 2010 at 10:02pm |
yummy. if you get it, I'll cook it for Mark. Tempura worm.
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philhender
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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?
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I asked the Lord for the blessing of Patience... he gave me 6 kids! 125g Reef / 55g Sump-Fuge
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