rush07 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Need help ID'ing the critter in the picture below. I have a bunch of them living in my sand bed. Caught one on the glass at night over the weekend. Its about 1.5-2 inches long. Any help appreciated. Link to comment
Deleted User 3 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Either spaghetti worm out of where he should be, or Cirratulid? 1 Link to comment
rush07 Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 OK. I looked it up and it is definitely a Cirratulid. Any danger to my reef? Link to comment
Deleted User 3 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I don't think so, their tentacles might irritate corals, but thats about all I think they would do. Usually are beneficial because hitch hikers. Here is what Chucks Hitchhiker ID has to say "Cirratulids are deposit feeders which gather food from the sea bottom by means of their palps. They are sluggish worms which bury themselves below the surface of sea bottoms leaving only their gills and palps visible. Some are free-living and inhabit tubes, while others are capable of burrowing through corals, shell or rock. Hence, they occur both in shallow water as well as deep sea. They inhabit mud flats or muddy areas between rocks. They are usually orange or bright red and are found among mussels and kelps. They are indirect deposit-feeders. They have no proboscis as their food is collected by their palps and carried to the prostomium." Link to comment
Chew_Magna Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 IMO I'd get rid of it. I started with a couple in my 15 gallon and now there are dozens of them. There is barely a spot in my tank without their feelers there. They definitely irritate coral. Link to comment
dtitus1 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Dang I have those too, thought they were spaghetti worms. Too late to get rid of um now though How big do they get? Link to comment
rush07 Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Thanks for the responses. I see some sites say they a good sand sifters and seem to be sought after for DSB tanks. I only have about an inch of substrate. Think I will pull them out. I bet I have at least 20 of them in my 29. Link to comment
dtitus1 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 After a few minutes of research I just think i'm gonna keep them. Keeping the sandbed stirred is always a plus, and I've never actually seen any on my rocks, only a few times on the glass. Don't think they'll bother anything unless you have stuff on the sandbed. Link to comment
Chew_Magna Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 After a few minutes of research I just think i'm gonna keep them. Keeping the sandbed stirred is always a plus, and I've never actually seen any on my rocks, only a few times on the glass. Don't think they'll bother anything unless you have stuff on the sandbed. I have them all throughout my rocks, not just the sand. That's where I first noticed them, on the rocks. I have some with 4+" feelers. That's pretty long in a 15. I'm going to hijack you a little here, but is there anything that eats these? I have too many to simply remove. Link to comment
dtitus1 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 are yours the red, brown, or orange ones? There's a difference in how big they'll get. A sixline should eat them though. Link to comment
Chew_Magna Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Hmmmm... I'm not sure a 6 line is a good idea in my tank. :/ Link to comment
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