What is this monstrosity?

[PoeticInjustice]

So I’ve been seeing this big guy roam my tank for years now, I finally caught him!

He is easily 10” inches stretched and the wife wants to burn the tank because of him lol

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Wow! I’m new here, but I’m pretty sure that’s a large bristleworm!

I think they sometimes can become predatory when they’re too big, so it’s better to remove them when they’re really large.

 

[PoeticInjustice]

Wow! I’m new here, but I’m pretty sure that’s a large bristleworm!

I think they sometimes can become predatory when they’re too big, so it’s better to remove them when they’re really large.

Yeah, have a lot of bristle worms on my tank but this guy is waaay bigger than the rest. He takes the cake, literally lol

 

[coral4me]

Yep, bristle worm. There is big debate if they're bad or good, but almost everyone has them in their tanks and I'd say they are good. The help clean up and break down debris in the sand bed. The bristles are to keep the fish from trying to eat them.

 

[PoeticInjustice]

Here he is stretched a little bit. Looks like 10” is a conservative estimate lol

 

[KJ]

Pherecardia striata (Lined fireworm)

 

[coral4me]

Good job catching him!

 

[PoeticInjustice]

Pherecardia striata (Lined fireworm)

Thanks KJ! So this is the bad one right? I suspected that it’s a fireworm because of the red in the bristles.

 

[Katrina71]

Kraken

 

[KJ]

Thanks KJ!

YW

So this is the bad one right?

YES.;Punch

 

[PoeticInjustice]

Good job catching him!

I wasn’t intending to catch him today. I fed the tank fresh fish eggs, from a fish we bought from the grocery, and he marched to the middle of the tank.

 

[PoeticInjustice]

YW

YES.;Punch

I moved all the rocks with my bare hands, multiple times. I feel itchy lol

 

[KJ]

I moved all the rocks with my bare hands, multiple times. I feel itchy lol

Bad idea

 

[Triggreef]

I fed the tank fresh fish eggs, from a fish we bought from the grocery

Bad idea. Could introduce some truly bad parasites that way. Also sometimes stores use preservatives in their fresh fish shellfish product. If you freeze it first that will eliminate potential parasites but you'd have to ask the store about if they use preservatives.

 

[PoeticInjustice]

Bad idea. Could introduce some truly bad parasites that way. Also sometimes stores use preservatives in their fresh fish shellfish product. If you freeze it first that will eliminate potential parasites but you'd have to ask the store about if they use preservatives.

Hmmm, I was thinking about this. Thanks for the advice, I‘ll throw the rest of em away.

 

[Dancingmad]

Cooooool fireworm. Not great for a reef, but if I had a species only tank i would keep him and he would be named Mr. Toasty.

 

[PoeticInjustice]

Cooooool fireworm. Not great for a reef, but if I had a species only tank i would keep him and he would be named Mr. Toasty.

Haha, it’s actually creepy when checking the tank late at night and see this thing crawling. I’m glad I was able to take it out.

 

[DMG Reef]

I wish I had not seen this before bedtime. I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight. ;Jawdrop

 

[PoeticInjustice]

I wish I had not seen this before bedtime. I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight. ;Jawdrop

Haha, sorry

 

[MTBake]

How did you catch it? Pretty cool that you did. I have a large bristle worm roaming my tank and sure would like to catch it.

Did you pull a rock out with it in it?