Has anyone seen this organism before?

[HeyLookItsCaps]

Do you think I should remove it?

Even if you did there are plenty more in your tank, as off putting as that sounds. They are great clean up crew and can reach into holes and crevices most others can’t. If you go to your tank in the middle of the night with a flashlight you’ll see them retract back into their crevices

 

[0scarofthesea]

I will go out on a limb and say that most hitchhikers are good. I currently have a VERY healthy population of spaghetti worms and they catch all the shrimp that doesn't fall to corals or fish. In addition to amphipods and copepods which have also helped with the clean up crew. I only have a few hermit crabs and a few snails in my 30g and they along with the freebies are all I currently need as a clean up crew. Also, technically Coraline algae is a hitchhiker which is another good thing generally. That being said reefs are an ecosystem and a very biodiverse one at that so as long as it isn't a coral eater or a foot long I will take one to up my biodiversity!

 

[Reefer825]

Don't grab it! It will prick at you.

Lol

 

[Stephy A]

Even if you did there are plenty more in your tank, as off putting as that sounds. They are great clean up crew and can reach into holes and crevices most others can’t. If you go to your tank in the middle of the night with a flashlight you’ll see them retract back into their crevices

Do they reproduce right away? I’ve had the shells in for about 4 weeks

 

[Stephy A]

I will go out on a limb and say that most hitchhikers are good. I currently have a VERY healthy population of spaghetti worms and they catch all the shrimp that doesn't fall to corals or fish. In addition to amphipods and copepods which have also helped with the clean up crew. I only have a few hermit crabs and a few snails in my 30g and they along with the freebies are all I currently need as a clean up crew. Also, technically Coraline algae is a hitchhiker which is another good thing generally. That being said reefs are an ecosystem and a very biodiverse one at that so as long as it isn't a coral eater or a foot long I will take one to up my biodiversity!

I feel like such a newbie! I have a 55g with no corals (yet) but lots of live rock. Having a hitchhiker was shocking!

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

Do they reproduce right away? I’ve had the shells in for about 4 weeks

They can pretty much hide anywhere, I truly wouldn’t worry about it and in my opinion be happy you’re seeing them. That means a healthy bio-diverse habitat

 

[Stephy A]

They can pretty much hide anywhere, I truly wouldn’t worry about it and in my opinion be happy you’re seeing them. That means a healthy bio-diverse habitat

At least I’m doing something right! Thank you!

 

[ZoWhat]

Do you suggest removing it? Some articles are saying they can be bad

Only when they start hiding under your bed at night....

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

Only when they start hiding under your bed at night....

When I moved my 120 from San Diego to Fort Worth there was a 4 inch deep pile of them in the bottom of my center overflow around the Durso pipe. I joked with my dad “this is how tremors the movie starts I think” watching them crawl into the grass in the front yard

 

[Sharkbait19]

As long as it ain’t a bobbit or fireworm I wouldn’t worry. I always liked seeing mine, many people find them creepy. I’m pretty sure my pistol shrimp killed most of them in my tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The bristles can be like getting stick by a fine-thorned cactus and are hard to remove. Very annoying.

 

[Gargoyle]

your sand is so white! I wish..

I was going to comment on that too. I've got a coral substrate which hasn't been that colour since my tank 1st cycled

 

[Gargoyle]

Just a friendly bristleworm cleaning out the apartment for a new hermit tenant

When my hermits find a new shell they pick it up and bang it against their current shell for ages before they have a peek inside. I think they're trying to evict any current tenants before they stick their face in

 

[Gargoyle]

Do you think I should remove it?

Definitely not. As your tank matures you will be glad to have a little commune of these guys. They're excellent housekeepers. Just remove them when they get as big as your smallest fish . They're a really good way to tell if you're over-feeding your tank as their population and size will expand.

 

[_sludgefactory]

This is how this post showed up in my Google Now feed.