RFA is upset

jeffchapok · Jan 29, 2020

My RFA is shriveled up like I've never seen it before. It appears that a couple of tentacles are reaching around from behind it and irritating it. Does this look like a brittle star or some kind of worm(s)?

jeffchapok · Jan 29, 2020

The RFA curled up enough for me to see more of the whatever it is under it. And he had what looks like a detached tentacle hanging out of his mouth.

This underwater stuff is weird!

jeffchapok · Jan 30, 2020

No ideas at all as to what this is?

The RFA is back to normal today. But I'm going to keep an eye out for this thing.

Peace River · Jan 30, 2020

@Ron Reefman - any thoughts on what is going on with this RFA?

BloopFish · Jan 30, 2020

Hmmm thats so weird, almost looks like its expelling its guts or something...

tankstudy · Jan 30, 2020

Mine do it frequently. I've never tested the brown stuff coming out so I wouldn't know for sure what it is but if your RFA returns to normal afterwards, that's perfectly normal.

jeffchapok · Jan 30, 2020

The tentacles were definitely wriggling around. They emanated from beneath the nem and kept reaching into its mouth, or it was grabbing them and pulling them in.

At one point, one of them snapped like a rubber band breaking.

Ron Reefman · Jan 30, 2020

My best guess is some kind of worm, like a bristle worm. The anemone sting would easily drive a brittle star away. Keep an eye on it but I have doubts about it happening again.

Tahoe61 · Jan 30, 2020

Looks like the tentacle of a spaghetti worm.

jeffchapok · Jan 30, 2020

Tahoe61 said:
Looks like the tentacle of a spaghetti worm.

It does, except I have a bunch of them (you can see one to the lower right of the nem in the first pic) and these tentacles were much thicker and pinkish, whereas my spaghettis' tentacles are more delicate and yellowish.

Arthacker87 · Jan 30, 2020

That's what I thought. Spaghetti worm body a biggin

jeffchapok · Mar 1, 2020

So this RFA didn't make it. It eventually just dissolved. I bought a replacement, and now it's doing the same thing. It moved this morning from one corner of the tank to another, so it's still alive.

But I just noticed this crawling on the glass, and this looks very much like what was coming out of the original nem in the pics above when I noticed it had a problem. Do RFA nems have a parasitical worm? Can anyone identify this?

I have 2 other RFAs that are just fine, but neither of them sits on the substrate. I'm thinking of moving this sick one onto a rock as well.

Arthacker87 · Mar 1, 2020

Sorry to hear!!! I'd try that. Maybe has something to do w it I dunno

Ron Reefman · Mar 2, 2020

Did you buy the second one from the same place you bought the one that died?

I have about 20 RFAs in the sand and they have been there for 3 years or more and I've seen no issue of worms.

I'm terrible a identifying worms, but that one looks kind of like a peanut worm which is harmless.