Sea monster in my reef tank

[watchguy123]

Have you ever come home after an evening out, go to your tank, the lights are already out so you get a flashlight just to check things out and BAMM!!!! All of a sudden, there is a thing, a creature that you haven't seen in it before. Well I have seen lots of bristle worms but nothing around a foot long before.

Check this out:

 

[Snotdoc]

dang. I'd scream like a girl.

 

[TheEngineer]

Well that's a big sucker!

 

[Akida17th]

That looks like a straight predator

 

[redfishbluefish]

Some folks like bristles as part of their CUC. I don't like them. I've never done this, but remember seeing it a couple years ago where someone said they took a stocking (I talking a lady's nylon stocking), and proping open the one end, and putting some food therein, they were able to catch bristles. You set this up and leave it overnight. Supposedly they go in the stocking to get the food, and their bristles get caught in the stocking, and now they can't get out.

 

[FL_Reefer]

Sweet Jesus that thing is a monster... Harpoon it now before it eats you. Lol Getting that out of the way. I don't mind the small ones but I would get that sucker out of there if it were me, it's only going to get bigger

 

[watchguy123]

So what do those guys eat, hopefully detritus and not critters or corals

 

[NanoDrummer09]

I'm curious to know what kind of benefit they can be to your tank or what kind of damage they can do. I've had them before in my previous tanks but kind of just let them be and nothing for affected.

 

[Among The Reef]

I had one that looked exactly like that in my tank a few years back. I'm guessing it was close to a foot and a half. I tried to catch it, but had no success over several months. It actually shared a burrow with a yellow watchman goby and pistol shrimp. They lived together for a year or so, and one day my yellow watchman goby disappeared. I had him for a few years at that point, so I was never sure what really happened to him.

-Jordan

 

[Jlentz]

Yikes! I'd be scared to try to pull it out.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Oh that's nasty.

 

[Dtackett]

good sign youre over feeding. they eat detritus, uneaten foods, fish/inverts that die in the tank etc. most tanks have them, even ones that are feed lightly. but if you have a large population or even a single LARGE one, youre feeding the thing somehow and its normally over feeding the tank.

 

[4FordFamily]

Holy moly mother of pearl! That tbinb is the size of a Volkswagen!

I have an enormous brittle star that is that size or bigger but never a bristle worm wow!

I have tons and I've never cared. I just assumed nature should be left to do what it does. Full disclosure though I don't keep a lot of difficult corals, not sure if that matters.

 

[krowna81]

That is a madusa worm they will eat your corals and fish your best bet is to get it out I had one about that size I'm my tank also and I killed it

 

[smh254]

This is not your normal bristle worm. This is not safe in your tank remove it. Be careful these things will sting u.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

wow he's awesome!
Better kill him. He violates even my bristle worm worm rules.
Great cleaners. But.

 

[reef lover]

Fireworm...coral eater....bad news.

 

[human]

Beautiful!

 

[Irsug1]

I had a giant one once. It took several tries to get him out.
I took long tweezers and he had such a good grip within the rock cavities that it would tear the end of him off and I would have to wait until he was exposed again to get another piece.

 

[TheEngineer]

That is a madusa worm they will eat your corals and fish your best bet is to get it out I had one about that size I'm my tank also and I killed it

Medusa worms don't have bristles.

Fireworm...coral eater....bad news.

Fireworms are red at the base of the bristle.