Eunice Worms

[Donya]

Didn't realize there were two different worms involved. If the bigger one is approaching a size like pinky-width, then it may be the culprit. I presume this was the one nearest the shell and not the smaller one?

I did also have 6 blue leg hermits but they all disappeared about 2 weeks ago.

Have you found the empty shells and/or bodies? If it was just empty shells, losing that many small crustaceans would definitly suggest there is a bad predator about, whether it's the bigger worm or something else.

 

[MissG55]

Didn't realize there were two different worms involved. If the bigger one is approaching a size like pinky-width, then it may be the culprit. I presume this was the one nearest the shell and not the smaller one?

I did also have 6 blue leg hermits but they all disappeared about 2 weeks ago.

Have you found the empty shells and/or bodies? If it was just empty shells, losing that many small crustaceans would definitly suggest there is a bad predator about, whether it's the bigger worm or something else.

It is not pinky width yet, about half the width, and the empty cowrie shell was right where i see the bigger worm collectin bits of shell from the sand bed. And yes i have found empty hermit shells and no bodies. Have been hoping they would turn up and were just hiding in the rock work but i keep finding empties. really need to get this worm. Have ordered a bristle worm trap to try and catch it. have made my own using a bottle but the shrimp keep finding their way in so have opted for something with a smaller opening. If this fails i will have to remove the rock and take a hammer to it . or try and flush him out with something??

 

[Donya]

Eunice worms are loooooong. Much longer than the average bristleworm of the same diameter. They will commonly not let go of their burrow with their back end so they can snap back really fast when they want to. While I have never done this, I have read success stories involving a syringe or squirty bottle with some carbonated bevereage injected into the burrow (I think I've read both cream and club soda). Just don't try to grab it out as that will risk making worm fragments; I don't know whether they can regenerate from fragments. A hammer will do the job, but it's worth trying the soda before the hammer.

While the trapping efforts are underway, I would also recommend doing a couple of late night patrols to see what all is motoring around after dark. True crabs are also common culprits for the types of invert deaths you're seeing, and they don't have to be very big to make pests of themselves.

 

[MissG55]

I will try the soda water before i take a hammer to the rock as it has my biggest mushroom growing on it. I did inherit a black crab with red eyes with my LR - he came out almost a year ago - maybe he had friends that are just better at hiding!
Time for a stake out.
If i have not caught the worm by next w/e will give the soda a try.
Thanks for all your advise.

 

[HappyGeorge]

I have no first hand experience but the owner of my LFS was talking to someone the other day and recommending getting the rock out straight away. He had a mate who lost quite a bit of stuff to one and in the end they took the rock out and took a hammer to it. I believe that they will honeycomb the rock by making their burrow bigger and as already said they don't leave the rock with their rear end, so a trap or trying to catch them is unlikely (LFS said impossible).
He did point out that to lose a few pounds worth of LR is nothing compared to the potential for damage from the worm. Of course this is compounded a little for you due to the coral growing on it. Of course you could just glue the piece of rock with the leather you have left after destroying the rock onto another piece.

 

[MissG55]

I have no first hand experience but the owner of my LFS was talking to someone the other day and recommending getting the rock out straight away. He had a mate who lost quite a bit of stuff to one and in the end they took the rock out and took a hammer to it. I believe that they will honeycomb the rock by making their burrow bigger and as already said they don't leave the rock with their rear end, so a trap or trying to catch them is unlikely (LFS said impossible).
He did point out that to lose a few pounds worth of LR is nothing compared to the potential for damage from the worm. Of course this is compounded a little for you due to the coral growing on it. Of course you could just glue the piece of rock with the leather you have left after destroying the rock onto another piece.

Thanks. The trapping has not worked .
So Saturday morning the rock is coming out. I am going to try the soda into the burrow first but i have a feeling that the hammer is coming out .
I will try to chip off a bit with the mushroom on it first and get this back into the tank before i really go for it!
Will the rock/mushroom be ok out of the water for the duration of the smashing or should i try to keep it submursed in tank water as much as possible?

 

[Donya]

The mushroom should be fine out of water. I've had shrooms out for quite some time while attaching frags, gluing rocks, and so on, and they just make an extra thick slime layer to stay moist.

 

[MissG55]

The mushroom should be fine out of water. I've had shrooms out for quite some time while attaching frags, gluing rocks, and so on, and they just make an extra thick slime layer to stay moist.

Great, thanks. That will make things much easier, less chance of losing the worm in a milky fog when the rock breaks!
Will hopefully have a picture of my worm to share in a couple of days.

 

[MissG55]

I Got him... as my new subtitle suggests!
Not quite the 3 footer i was dreading but it did make me jump when i got my first sight of him.
I managed to save my mushrooms... i think, and only got one eyefull of LR! Ouch!
Decided not to put any of the rock back in except for the small bits with mushroom on them.
Here he is...

 

[fishy55599]

ewwwww...........and you chopped his tail off

 

[hanny93]

I dont want a marine setup anymore.. thats horrible! haha well done on getting it out though

 

[seffieuk]

Thats a result, how did you get it in the end?

 

[MissG55]

It is a nasty beast!!! Really didn't mean to chop off his tail, at one point thought i had 2 in there!!!!!

I got out my trusty hammer and chisel. chipped off the mushrooms and put them in a tub of tankwater, while the rubble went into a bucket until i was sure he was all out!
It looks as if i got all of it out but am not going to put the rubble back in just to be sure!

 

[fishy55599]

thats a lot of rock wasted coz of one worms
your mushrooms look great, i have never seen blue defore.

 

[seffieuk]

thats a lot of rock wasted coz of one worms
your mushrooms look great, i have never seen blue defore.

I would be tempted to put that rock in qt tank and see what happens