That can't be a worm! Snake?

[DED65]

The closest I have been able to get is maybe 4 feet with only ambient light. I looked up leodice and it is possibly a match, but I can't see any definition of the head. Not much information on these types of worms that I can find. I ordered a fairly cheap nanny cam and I will see if I can get some images of him. I assume that he has been in the tank for a lot longer than I can guess.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

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...!

yours isn't just a detrivore as he has taken corals and perhaps snails. One of the many LFS near me has a large bare bottom tank. If worm were mine and I didn't want to kill it, the catching it perhaps LFS would take it. Someone out there is always looking for curiosity items. Good luck

 

[Stuartmercer]

Ohh im interested in this, following. Sorry though, I cant be of any service.

 

[king aiptasia]

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

thanks for keeping me in thoughts, I appreciate it.

oenone fulgida is a worm that appreciates the flavors of snails and is a common enough hitchhiker to be worth considering

 

[robbyg]

The closest I have been able to get is maybe 4 feet with only ambient light. I looked up leodice and it is possibly a match, but I can't see any definition of the head. Not much information on these types of worms that I can find. I ordered a fairly cheap nanny cam and I will see if I can get some images of him. I assume that he has been in the tank for a lot longer than I can guess.

Use a Red light late at night. I have always been able to observe stuff in the tank with Red light as they do not get spooked. As for your trap, if a bigger one does not work I can show you how to modify it to make it much harder for him to get out.

 

[I’m Batman]

Gotta be a bobbit worm

 

[TheDragonsReef]

How big is the tank? For a worm like that sometimes taking down the rocks above him is the best bet. Bottle traps dont tend to do well since they never let theyre whole body out. So they're never completely in the bottle, especially large ones like yours. Hes probably 20in long considering the size of the burrow.

 

[Just John]

Gotta be a bobbit worm

I hate those things. Nightmare fuel! This is the truth - with those scissors on the front, they are named after Lorena Bobbit who cut off her husbands willy and threw it out the car window in 1993. Even more amazing - some guy saw her toss it out, pulled over and picked it up. They actually stitched it back on. "Hmm, someone is probably looking for that. I better pick it up."

 

[ausram]

I’m terrified and can’t wait to see what happens.

 

[DED65]

Yeah, I am mixing up water and getting everything ready to do a breakdown. It's a 6 foot 120 gallon tank. I was able to get larger bottles in the tank and I haven't seen him since, the bottles are great for catching fish and snails though. I will give the bottle a couple more days and hope I can get lucky. I figure that I may as well do a complete sand bed cleaning just in case there is more than one when I do the breakdown.

 

[DED65]

I hate those things. Nightmare fuel! This is the truth - with those scissors on the front, they are named after Lorena Bobbit who cut off her husbands willy and threw it out the car window in 1993. Even more amazing - some guy saw her toss it out, pulled over and picked it up. They actually stitched it back on. "Hmm, someone is probably looking for that. I better pick it up."

I remember watching the trial, for you younger people, this is how we got our entertainment back in the old days. Oh the jokes we could tell back then...!

 

[DED65]

I hate those things. Nightmare fuel! This is the truth - with those scissors on the front, they are named after Lorena Bobbit who cut off her husbands willy and threw it out the car window in 1993. Even more amazing - some guy saw her toss it out, pulled over and picked it up. They actually stitched it back on. "Hmm, someone is probably looking for that. I better pick it up."

If this thing has rattles, I'm leaving the hobby...

 

[Mydoghasfleas]

Wow I’m curious. Hope you can catch it!

 

[Just John]

I remember watching the trial, for you younger people, this is how we got our entertainment back in the old days. Oh the jokes we could tell back then...!

Back when the internet was text only, 95% of people didn't have email and spam was a canned meat.

 

[DED65]

Caught him snatching a crab, here are some pics of him. Can anyone identify? @vetteguy53081 @king aiptasia

 

[DED65]

 

[DeniseAndy]

Think Tremors....
Crazy. I hope you can get him if not just to identify. Oh, the fun things we find in reef keeping.

 

[a4edwin]

Gotta be a bobbit worm

After looking at those pics it looks like a bobbit worm to me. I would be trying to figure out how to push the tank out the window right now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

OMG - A bobbit. Carefully grab it with tongs or trap within a jar and freeze or flush or throwout on the grass until it is done.
Other option:

• Use a piece of panty hose with some meaty bait. The bristles get caught in the hose and you can pull it out with the worm attachedBUT be careful to make no contact with it. Stuff some meaty bait in an easily accessible small piece of live rock rubble and leave it overnight in the panty hose. Pull out the following day and remove the worm

 

[jskoms]