Bobbit worms are scary...

Krixic · Sep 18, 2020

Tired said:
Those are really rare, is the thing. They're scary, but they're rare. And at least they don't spread all over the place like aiptasia or red bugs. There are many species of eunicid worm, but only a few that get big, and only a couple that get huge like those.

Personally, I think they're really cool. I'd love one in a species tank. 10g, maybe some invasive corals, and teach it to come out and eat from a set of tongs. Wouldn't be hard.
I saw a picture once of this really neat black-and-white striped one. Someone had brought it into my LFS to show them and get a big breeder box for it to live in. That one was maybe 6"? And I don't think it was the same species as these really huge ones.

Man, I would be scared to be in the same room as that thing. But to be fair I hate bristle worms the same. Worms in general freak me out

a4edwin · Sep 18, 2020

I don’t know what possessed me to look at this while I WAS eating something.

Memisis · Sep 18, 2020

Biglew11 said:
bleach and acid at same is definitely no go, strong acid with a strong alkalye will create a very poisonous gas cloud.

Its dangerous yes, but im willing to take the risk to ensure that thing is dead :] mix and run hahaha

Memisis · Sep 18, 2020

I'm no expert, nor do I know anything about those worms but im pretty sure that one will crawl out of the tank, climb inside you while you sleep and walk you around like a puppet the following morning to do cool "worm stuff".... that is a horrifying creature to look at.

Tired · Sep 18, 2020

If anyone finds a big one of these, don't kill it. Put it in a bucket to keep it alive and offer it up here. I bet someone will take it. Be a shame to kill one if someone wants it.

It's not like they're all that dangerous to people. I mean, yeah, it could bite you if you tried to pick it up, but it's not going to come out and get you. It's an aquatic predator of fish, not an amphibious parasite.

Memisis · Sep 18, 2020

Tired said:
If anyone finds a big one of these, don't kill it. Put it in a bucket to keep it alive and offer it up here. I bet someone will take it. Be a shame to kill one if someone wants it.

It's not like they're all that dangerous to people. I mean, yeah, it could bite you if you tried to pick it up, but it's not going to come out and get you. It's an aquatic predator of fish, not an amphibious parasite.

Very true. Good call. I will gladly post to offer to have someone come over to get it out of my tank. But you are right, its not a parasite live and let live.

Phycodurus · Sep 18, 2020

... eunicid bristleworms ... making grown men scream like little girls for over 400 million years.

vetteguy53081 · Sep 18, 2020

Scary creepy to say the least.
They remind me of the big creepy worm in the first star wars in that garbage chute

Script_Kitty · Sep 18, 2020

Sit back and nuke the site from orbit. its the only way to be sure.

jshep13 · Sep 18, 2020

I had one in my tank a long time ago. Scared the crap out of me when my hand was in the tank doing maintenance and it went for my hand. Had to look it up at the time, but I will never forget that one. Ended up setting a trap and was able to dispose of it.

Tl02022020 · Sep 18, 2020

These things are great but scary and I sure do t want one!

ImaFlippinDolphin · Sep 18, 2020

Script_Kitty said:
Sit back and nuke the site from orbit. its the only way to be sure.

Came here to say the exact same thing

Ceti · Sep 18, 2020

I’m sure a course of Plaquenil at 70 mg/gallon would kill this puppy in a day or less. It would come out of hiding and twist in agony in front of your eyes. It would also wipe out all invertebrates and algae in the tank, followed by a spike in ammonia, etc.

a4edwin · Sep 19, 2020

I started thinking about the worm thing in King Kong after I threw out my food. Btw thanks krixic.

DHill6 · Sep 19, 2020

Tired said:
If anyone finds a big one of these, don't kill it. Put it in a bucket to keep it alive and offer it up here. I bet someone will take it. Be a shame to kill one if someone wants it.

It's not like they're all that dangerous to people. I mean, yeah, it could bite you if you tried to pick it up, but it's not going to come out and get you. It's an aquatic predator of fish, not an amphibious parasite.

Predator of expensive coral, 2 scoly, 2 rhizo, clam.

DHill6 · Sep 19, 2020

Also a chunk taken out of the middle of an expensive fire fish, I bet it was the culprit.

Milkman420 · Sep 19, 2020

Jedi knight said:
Proper solution stick a bunch of Piranhas in there and watch them tear that worm to shreds

I don’t know bro I had a tank with 20 piranhas in it and they were scaredy cats. They would run from shadows lol. Throw dead food in there and they demolish it in seconds. Throw live food in there and they would run to the other side as a pack and I would end up with a tank with 4 feeder fish and 20 piranhas. I was told they’re like that in the beginning but they change after they get comfortable in the tank well that didn’t happen for the 2 years I had the tank. Now oscars and arrowana on the other hand would eat absolutely everything including 5 cichlids in one night.

Tired · Sep 19, 2020

Oh yeah, that's piranha. The redbellies are wimps. They're only dangerous to large prey when they're having a bad time during the dry season, when they're all concentrated into little pools and starving. Mind you, there are credible reports of them killing very large animals like that, but they aren't actually any meaner than other freshwater fish. Any given minnow will swarm food like they do. Piranha just have the teeth to back it up when they swarm things.

The Atlanta aquarium has a big tank full of piranha, and they have two videos that play on a loop next to the tank; a video of them swarming and devouring a big dead fish during feeding time, and a video of them cowering in terror in the corner as a scuba diver cleaned their tank.

JaimeAdams · Sep 19, 2020

I had a Bobbit worm that I found after a tank tear down that I helped someone from the club with. It was probably about 18 inches long. Some people are into them though. I had people hit me up on here that wanted the worm.