That can't be a worm! Snake?

DED65 · Mar 14, 2021

I posted another question on here and had no answers, it was my fault for not providing much information. I have been finding burrows in the sand under the rocks. I have lost a few coral, a leather, dendro, zoas and a duncan no fish lost and probably some snails. I believe my matted filefish was responsible for some loss, caught him trying to eat a scoly, he has been rehomed in another tank.

I find these burrows have shells, rock and this morning my meat coral pulled onto the burrow. I moved the meat coral into another tank, yes I have three. The coral does not seem to be damaged, but it is heavy and took something big to drag it across the sand. I sat and watched the area, caught a glimpse of a worm coming out of the sand. The part that was out of the sand was about the size of my pinky finger about 3 inches long and around 1/2 inch diameter. It looked like a centipede, so I am guessing at some type of Euniced. I am debating on the best way to catch this creature. Do I try a trap? I see posts about the traps, but they don't include the outcome. Do I break down the rock and remove the sand bed? I have no idea what the size of the worm is and don't know if a trap is large enough. I would appreciate any info from someone who has dealt with something like this. I wish I could get a picture, but this sucker is fast...

vetteguy53081 · Mar 14, 2021

{ics quite fuzzy and not quite sure what object youre referring to

Fish Think Pink · Mar 14, 2021

DED65 said:
I posted another question on here and had no answers, it was my fault for not providing much information. I have been finding burrows in the sand under the rocks. I have lost a few coral, a leather, dendro, zoas and a duncan no fish lost and probably some snails. I believe my matted filefish was responsible for some loss, caught him trying to eat a scoly, he has been rehomed in another tank.

I find these burrows have shells, rock and this morning my meat coral pulled onto the burrow. I moved the meat coral into another tank, yes I have three. The coral does not seem to be damaged, but it is heavy and took something big to drag it across the sand. I sat and watched the area, caught a glimpse of a worm coming out of the sand. The part that was out of the sand was about the size of my pinky finger about 3 inches long and around 1/2 inch diameter. It looked like a centipede, so I am guessing at some type of Euniced. I am debating on the best way to catch this creature. Do I try a trap? I see posts about the traps, but they don't include the outcome. Do I break down the rock and remove the sand bed? I have no idea what the size of the worm is and don't know if a trap is large enough. I would appreciate any info from someone who has dealt with something like this. I wish I could get a picture, but this sucker is fast...

I have had good success with fish trap on fish, but this is different. If I were in your situation, I'd get a cheap night vision scope online, bait my icecap medium fish trap (OR have to buy small size to get it down onto sand (I've got a lot of rockwork) but based on size and speed description, my medium) put something tasty like a thawed small whole clam without shell inside trap, and stake out tank overnight. Might try tying clam into trap box somehow as worm sounds strong and you don't want bait gone before you have time to drop door. I'd definitely try trapping before ripping apart my established tank. However, if this pest has bred, ... but start with what you know, catch that one and just take it slow. Could take multiple sleepless nights, but if it thinks those clams are easy, training it to get clams/bait/food from trap is saving damage to your tank inhabitants. Eventually you'll get it out.

Don't move any rock from this tank to your others, in case possibly infested.

Maybe while waiting on your trap arrival, try putting different foods by its burrow so you know what bait to use when you have trap ready to go. I find baiting fish with that fishes favorite food works best, so trying to find out what worm likes best (seems to want to eat EVERYTHING! EEK) will make catching easier. BF came by and suggested this is also like "feeding" worm so it leaves your other inhabitants alone for a while...

Wishing you luck & success!! Keep us posted

Pntbll687 · Mar 14, 2021

That's quite the worm if your size assessment is correct.

You can try a bottle type trap with a very small opening for the worm to crawl in.

Where did your live rock come from? How old is the tank? Have you had any unexplained fish deaths in the tank?

DED65 · Mar 14, 2021

I saw the pvc homemade trap online and will make one and see if it may work. I also ordered a trap from Amazon and it should be here by Wednesday, I was going to go to the LFS and see if they have anything. The tank has been running for over 5 years. The rock was dry, but I have added other stuff from that point. I have been seeing the burrows for quite awhile. I think my size assessment is pretty close, the coral that was moved is about 5 inches in diameter when inflated and it was moved at least 6 inches. I have not lost any fish, I have starry gobies that hang out by the burrows and they have been fine so far. @vetteguy53081, I know you answered last time about the pictures too. The pictures are just of the burrows that I have found. I can see them fine on my screen and I don’t know how to post to make them any clearer. I am an old fart that is not that tech savvy

! Thanks for replying, if you can give any advice it would be greatly appreciated. I read your posts and they are really helpful! Thanks to everyone else for helping too, I will try all of the advice!

vetteguy53081 · Mar 14, 2021

DED65 said:
I saw the pvc homemade trap online and will make one and see if it may work. I also ordered a trap from Amazon and it should be here by Wednesday, I was going to go to the LFS and see if they have anything. The tank has been running for over 5 years. The rock was dry, but I have added other stuff from that point. I have been seeing the burrows for quite awhile. I think my size assessment is pretty close, the coral that was moved is about 5 inches in diameter when inflated and it was moved at least 6 inches. I have not lost any fish, I have starry gobies that hang out by the burrows and they have been fine so far. @vetteguy53081, I know you answered last time about the pictures too. The pictures are just of the burrows that I have found. I can see them fine on my screen and I don’t know how to post to make them any clearer. I am an old fart that is not that tech savvy! Thanks for replying, if you can give any advice it would be greatly appreciated. I read your posts and they are really helpful! Thanks to everyone else for helping too, I will try all of the advice!

1 or 2 litre bottle

Fish Think Pink · Mar 14, 2021

DED65 said:
I saw the pvc homemade trap online and will make one and see if it may work. I also ordered a trap from Amazon and it should be here by Wednesday, I was going to go to the LFS and see if they have anything. The tank has been running for over 5 years. The rock was dry, but I have added other stuff from that point. I have been seeing the burrows for quite awhile. I think my size assessment is pretty close, the coral that was moved is about 5 inches in diameter when inflated and it was moved at least 6 inches. I have not lost any fish, I have starry gobies that hang out by the burrows and they have been fine so far. @vetteguy53081, I know you answered last time about the pictures too. The pictures are just of the burrows that I have found. I can see them fine on my screen and I don’t know how to post to make them any clearer. I am an old fart that is not that tech savvy! Thanks for replying, if you can give any advice it would be greatly appreciated. I read your posts and they are really helpful! Thanks to everyone else for helping too, I will try all of the advice!

I could see burrow hole in pic clearly. He might have been hoping for actual worm picture

Fish Think Pink · Mar 14, 2021

vetteguy53081 said:
1 or 2 litre bottle

COOL!!! Thank you for sharing!!

DED65 · Mar 14, 2021

I wish I could get a picture, but this sucker is fast! I will get a couple of bottles and place in the tank tonight. I will also pick up some fresh seafood. The butcher looks at me funny when I ask for two shrimp, two clams...

!

Pntbll687 · Mar 14, 2021

vetteguy53081 said:
1 or 2 litre bottle

If you use the above trap, you might need to add something to the opening to stop the work from coming back out.

If you have any diy netting like for a screen top would probably work well

vetteguy53081 · Mar 14, 2021

Pntbll687 said:
If you use the above trap, you might need to add something to the opening to stop the work from coming back out.

If you have any diy netting like for a screen top would probably work well

They slide along the outer perimeters to try and get back out- too dumb to put two and two together

Pntbll687 · Mar 14, 2021

vetteguy53081 said:
They slide along the outer perimeters to try and get back out- too dumb to put two and two together

Oh nice, I thought it would find the exit no problem. Then again I've never tried to catch anything more than some bristle worms in a trap

xxkenny90xx · Mar 14, 2021

Not much to go off of yet but @king aiptasia ?

DED65 · Mar 15, 2021

So, I used two one liter bottles, rock, shrimp, clam and sardines in front of each burrow that I have seen. Within 5 minutes, he was checking it out but got spooked with the dogs moving about. I could see at least 8 inches of him coming out of his burrow. He was definitely in the bottle last night as the food was missing, one of the bottles was undisturbed except for a snail. I caught another glimpse of him this morning checking out the bottle. He was extended at least the 8 inches and some of him was still buried. What I could see in the dim light he looked a brownish, maybe a dull reddish color and had a lighter colored ring a little down from his head. I assume he can stretch into the bottle and reverse back out. I would try a two liter bottle but there is not that much room without moving rock. The fish hang out in this area, a Randall's basslet calls the rock immediately above the burrow his home. I assume the worm is not going after fish as this seems like easy pickings.

Aqua Man · Mar 15, 2021

DED65 said:
I could see at least 8 inches of him coming out of his burrow

That’s a big worm!!!

Nano sapiens · Mar 15, 2021

Aqua Man said:
That’s a big worm!!!

And it's going to get bigger being fed!

Fish Think Pink · Mar 15, 2021

DED65 said:
So, I used two one liter bottles, rock, shrimp, clam and sardines in front of each burrow that I have seen. Within 5 minutes, he was checking it out but got spooked with the dogs moving about. I could see at least 8 inches of him coming out of his burrow. He was definitely in the bottle last night as the food was missing, one of the bottles was undisturbed except for a snail. I caught another glimpse of him this morning checking out the bottle. He was extended at least the 8 inches and some of him was still buried. What I could see in the dim light he looked a brownish, maybe a dull reddish color and had a lighter colored ring a little down from his head. I assume he can stretch into the bottle and reverse back out. I would try a two liter bottle but there is not that much room without moving rock. The fish hang out in this area, a Randall's basslet calls the rock immediately above the burrow his home. I assume the worm is not going after fish as this seems like easy pickings.

WOW - that is a BIG worm!

You may not like disturbing some rockwork to get a two liter bottle in there, but with the size of that beastly worm, and @vetteguy53081 suggestion sliding along, think you need more length to keep it trapped. Perhaps you could glue several 1 liter bottles together to get length without thickness. GOOD LUCK!!

DED65 · Mar 16, 2021

Yeah, it's a big guy. I was thinking of a longer bottle or a length of pvc with caps on either end. I have read (what I can find) is that a lot of these are detrivores and people have them for years without ever noticing until a tank breakdown. Most of what I have read has worms like this listed as a Bobbit, but others note that there are many types of worms in this family. I need to figure out a way to get a video at night to try to get an identification, I can't get close enough to get a picture, he is always observant and very quick. I have had corals damaged, but since moving the filefish, I have only had corals moved. Worst case, I break down the tank and get him out and maybe get him rehomed, I hate to kill something just because he is big and ugly. Heck, they let me live this long...

!