Tons of tiny eunicid worms?!

[lba4590]

I have collected at least a dozen tiny eunicid worms from my frag tank, I’m assuming they hatched from eggs on a frag. They are anywhere from 1/2-4” long, very thin and mostly white in color with the larger ones having a little orange in them. I know they are not bristle worms. They have 4 antennae (I think) and are much skinnier and move differently. I keep finding more every day. I had a large rock in this tank for a few weeks that I dipped and moved to my big tank, but I’m sure some made it in there.. how worried should I be?

 

[Soren]

Any chance you could share pictures?

 

[lba4590]

Any chance you could share pictures?

Here’s one that I pulled out last night, pictures are terrible quality because it’s so small.. sorry about that. This one is about an inch long.. well actually, it ripped in half so it was maybe 1.5”..

 

[brandon429]

my tale of eunicids: one hitchhiked in my first reefbowl as a live rock hitcher.

in a one gallon vase, it grew to 12 inches long, coiled up, such that anywhere he hid a portion of him stuck out. it moved frags where it liked, was uncatchable, and would likely crash the tank by rot if Id try to kill it internally. I had to live with it, for 3-4 years as it kept growing. it scared my child lol, they're pains. but when nat geo does ocean snippets on them its cool to know we keep these ancient animals in our home tanks.

when that reefbowl 1 died due to massive algae invasion/pre peroxide days/ and it was time to take down the bowl I had him in my sights. when I smashed the rock and pulled him it it was just terrible. truly a beast when they hitch into a pico. it looked exactly like a one foot long centipede/

 

[Soren]

@lba4590 I cannot confirm for sure in your pictures, but they might also be dorvilleidae worms instead of eunicids.
If that is the case, dorvilleidae worms are harmless beneficial detritus-eaters.
If they are eunicids, I know I would not want them in my reef tank due to aspects mentioned by @brandon429 above.

If you want to identify more precisely, I think dorvilleidae worms have 4 antennae on the head while eunicids have 5 as well as two large claw-teeth on the head.

 

[brandon429]

Here's a video of my offender the one foot beast it'll take a sec to find off youtube. to describe it and have no video would be a forum foul cliffhanger fould bird/ sec old youtube searching

 

[lba4590]

@lba4590 I cannot confirm for sure in your pictures, but they might also be dorvilleidae worms instead of eunicids.
If that is the case, dorvilleidae worms are harmless beneficial detritus-eaters.
If they are eunicids, I know I would not want them in my reef tank due to aspects mentioned by @brandon429 above.

If you want to identify more precisely, I think dorvilleidae worms have 4 antennae on the head while eunicids have 5 as well as two large claw-teeth on the head.

I think you just made my day!! I think they are dorvilleidae worms, I only see 4 antennae - I didn’t know these even existed! Always learning something. I really hope this is the case, I’m terrified of worms in general, even if they are beneficial I want them out.. so fingers crossed I do not have baby bobbits roaming around my tank lol

 

[SandNRocks]

Anything ever happen with these? Do they move really fast and move backwards? I believe i have them as well.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here’s one that I pulled out last night, pictures are terrible quality because it’s so small.. sorry about that. This one is about an inch long.. well actually, it ripped in half so it was maybe 1.5”..

This is a dorvillidae and not eunicid and dorvilldae- cousin to bristleworm breed readily and are reef safe detritus eaters as well as uneaten food. Overfeeding tank will encourage their population