What the heck

[jaxteller007]

I've had my share or bristleworm infestations. This doesn't look like one I've seem before.

#reefsquad

 

[Specific Ocean]

Yikes. Curious to know what hitch hiker this is

 

[jaxteller007]

Yikes. Curious to know what hitch hiker this is

Especially since we haven't added anything other than a couple small corals in months and months. Newest rock has been in the tank for 6 months at least lol

 

[jaxteller007]

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Looks like a fireworm to me.

 

[jaxteller007]

Looks like a fireworm to me.

Where in the heck would we have gotten it from?
And even better. How do I make sure we don't have an infestation?

 

[RedReefer]

Firework! They sting, be careful!

 

[MrDLHughesY]

Where in the heck would we have gotten it from?
And even better. How do I make sure we don't have an infestation?

Did you use live rock in your tank ? If so probably always had it just never notice it.

 

[jaxteller007]

 

[jaxteller007]

Did you use live rock in your tank ? If so probably always had it just never notice it.

It was all brand new dry rock. Like the caribsea real reef rock and Marco dry rock. No actual live rock. Same with the sand. All new when we started the tank.

 

[JGT]

+1 for fireworm, but almost looks like a piece of one, not the entire thing.

 

[KJ]

Part of fireworm. Eurythoe sp.

 

[RedReefer]

Did you pull it off your rock, maybe that’s part of one.

 

[hds4216]

It possibly came in as an egg/very tiny individual on a frag or something.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Where in the heck would we have gotten it from?
And even better. How do I make sure we don't have an infestation?

They seem to appear out of thin air sometimes. No real way to make sure you don’t have anymore other than camping out by the tank with a red flashlight after dark. If you’re afraid of more and can swing it you could get a wrasse or springerie (I think that’s the name) damsel. Either will eat flatworms/bristle worms. I recommend anything in the corris wrasse family. They’re relatively small and won’t bother coral or inverts

 

[jaxteller007]

Did you pull it off your rock, maybe that’s part of one.

No it was on the sand.
Maybe the melanarus wrasse has been keeping them in check.

 

[jaxteller007]

They seem to appear out of thin air sometimes. No real way to make sure you don’t have anymore other than camping out by the tank with a red flashlight after dark. If you’re afraid of more and can swing it you could get a wrasse or springerie (I think that’s the name) damsel. Either will eat flatworms/bristle worms. I recommend anything in the corris wrasse family. They’re relatively small and won’t bother coral or inverts

We have had a melanarus since our old tank and it's bristle worm infestation. I'm sure he's doing the trick. Just wasn't sure if fireworks were treated differently than bristle.

 

[MrDLHughesY]

It was all brand new dry rock. Like the caribsea real reef rock and Marco dry rock. No actual live rock. Same with the sand. All new when we started the tank.

Defiantly must have hitchhiked from something you put in then.

 

[jaxteller007]

Defiantly must have hitchhiked from something you put in then.

I had no idea they could hitchhike microscopically on like corals and stuff.
I shouldn't be surprised though. Everything in our 180 was either brand new (rocks and sand) or sat in the garage dry for months (tank, plumbing, etc) and we still wound up with aiptasia. Life uh, finds a way right? Lol

 

[MrDLHughesY]

I had no idea they could hitchhike microscopically on like corals and stuff.
I shouldn't be surprised though. Everything in our 180 was either brand new (rocks and sand) or sat in the garage dry for months (tank, plumbing, etc) and we still wound up with aiptasia. Life uh, finds a way right? Lol

Yeah you do everything you possible can to prevent things like this getting into our reefs but somehow they still turn up and leave us wonder how on earth they got in.