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griffith 
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 Topic: Medusa Worm Warning = Toxic When Dead
Posted: February 15 2011 at 9:50am |
I purchased a pretty orange Medusa Worm a couple of weeks ago. It is reef safe and fun to watch.
However, I did not know how toxic they are when they die. Mine died overnight and within hours I started losing fish. I lost my beautiful French Angel, Flame Angel, Purple Firefish, two Chromis and a few other fish I still cannot find. My Purple Tang turned gray and was struggling to breath. My Blue Hippo Tang and other fish went into hiding.
The Worm broke into several pieces about one-two inches long. I got them all out, cleaned my filter socks, changed my carbon and did major water change. My Purple Tang is getting his color back and things seem to be recovering.
I looked on-line and found many other people had the same problem and lost many fish.
I learned a great lesson to do more research before I buy something -- even if they are reef safe and look pretty.
Linn
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Adam Blundell
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Posted: February 15 2011 at 10:55am |
I too had this happen once. It's crazy how fast the fish start dropping. I came home from work one day and was just stunned.
Adam
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Come to a meeting, they’re fun!
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thefu
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Posted: February 15 2011 at 3:57pm |
Last month Forest Gahn told us how his Medusa worm killed off their entire tank more than once (I guess it doesn't have to die to nuke everything) and finally he just took it out of the tank.
I too had been tempted to try one until I heard that.
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jwoo
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Posted: February 15 2011 at 4:23pm |
 thefu wrote:
Last month Forest Gahn told us how his Medusa worm killed off their entire tank more than once (I guess it doesn't have to die to nuke everything)  and finally he just took it out of the tank.I too had been tempted to try one until I heard that. |
Yeah I heard that at his MWRF talk as well. Scares me enough to never even think about trying one.
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None at the moment
Soon: 72 Gallon Bowfront
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: February 16 2011 at 1:02pm |
Ooh.  Sorry to hear of your loss.
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Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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go2sleep
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Posted: February 17 2011 at 10:58pm |
They are EVIL. I lost about $1500 in fish to one of those little suckers. I actually bought mine because I saw the one Forest had in his tank. They are pretty cool. Eating dirty sand on one end - pooping white sand out the other end. I got it from Blue Zoo. Was supposed to be 6-7 inches. He had to be 20 inches when stretched out. When he went south it nuked every fish in my tank within an hour. I threw a ton of carbon in my sump and did a water change. Finally all I could do is sit back and cry. Didn't touch coral or inverts. That's him up against the glass with my hand for perspective. That was about an hour before my fatal event. If only I had known I would have been flushing him down the toilet instead of taking his stupid picture. Consider yourself warned!!!
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Steve
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jcom
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Posted: February 18 2011 at 1:16pm |
Are these different than your standard brown "cucumbers"? I've had 2 cucumbers in my tank for about 4 or 5 years. Now I'm worried about what might happen if one of them dies.
What are the latin names for a medusa worm vs. standard cucumbers?
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jcom
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Posted: February 18 2011 at 6:16pm |
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Anyone??
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Adam Blundell
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Posted: February 18 2011 at 7:14pm |
You're really challenging me on that one. I'm not much use on this. The Medusa Worms are a type of echinoderm... I think synaptids. The terminology is tough for me on this. There are Holothuroids which include the medusas and the cucumbers. Withing Holothuroids there are two groups (maybe three or four) and they include the Holothurids (notice the missing third o) and the Synaptids. The Holothurids are the "cucumbers" which seem to do fine in captivity. In fact many of them are super beneficial. The Synaptids are the medusa worms.... often starving in the aquarium.
I don't think I can name one off the top of my head. Holothuria.... something. Sorry. Wait I take that back Holothuria hilla is the tiger tail. Now I'm out.
Adam
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Reedsreef
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Posted: March 18 2015 at 5:42pm |
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Dear Linn, I only wish I'd read this first.
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Reedsreef
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Posted: March 18 2015 at 5:43pm |
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Lost yellow tang and Coral Beauty.
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