Identification please

[janbokev]

Hello all, I sit watching my tank looking for wierd and wonderful things that may pop out unwillingly knowing I'm watching it and I see nothing but last night sat on my computer I cought through the corner of my eye some kind of worm :? that decided to come out for a swim, it was doing this by rotation just like a coil it was a pretty pink colour but looked as though it had 2 heads one each end of it they went into a point at each end, it would go very thin and long sometimes otherwise it was about 1mm thick & about 3/4 of an inch long. It was nice watching it but is it dangerous? do i need to hunt it out and get rid of it or is my tank still safe? I have had my tank up and running since April this year and it's the first time I have ever seen this little pink thing, could someone help identify it for me PLEASE. :?
I have in my tank 2 clown fish, 3 cleaner shrimp, 2 brittle stars (1 brown 1 green) 1 dog faced puffer, 3 yellow & blue damsels, 3 domino damsels, 1 urchin, 1 manderine fish, and not forgetting a tropical fish (molly) that evaded being eaten for lunch unlike the rest of his family for my dog faced puffer, it's been in there for 2 months and nothing has been added since I added the mollies for lunch 8O otherwise everything has been together for at least 4 or 5 months.

 

[mr_X]

did it have tiny spines on it?
http://www.reef.edu.au/asp_pages/secb.asp?FormNo=34

 

[janbokev]

Thanks for the respose. I couldn't actually see any spines on it, but it looked nothing like the pic on the link you sent, the head went into a piont and the tail was the same.
do the bristle worm swim in the way this one did ( in a coil or cork screw motion is the only way I can explain it ) and would they be a nice shade of pink? more so if it turns out to one these worms do I need to hunt it down and what would be the best way to do it -ie is there some kind of food they really like that I could try to entice out with or would my hermit crabs eat it?
sorry to sound thick :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

Hello all, I sit watching my tank looking for wierd and wonderful things that may pop out unwillingly knowing I'm watching it and I see nothing but last night sat on my computer I cought through the corner of my eye some kind of worm :? that decided to come out for a swim, it was doing this by rotation just like a coil it was a pretty pink colour but looked as though it had 2 heads one each end of it they went into a point at each end, it would go very thin and long sometimes otherwise it was about 1mm thick & about 3/4 of an inch long. It was nice watching it but is it dangerous? do i need to hunt it out and get rid of it or is my tank still safe? I have had my tank up and running since April this year and it's the first time I have ever seen this little pink thing, could someone help identify it for me PLEASE. :?
I have in my tank 2 clown fish, 3 cleaner shrimp, 2 brittle stars (1 brown 1 green) 1 dog faced puffer, 3 yellow & blue damsels, 3 domino damsels, 1 urchin, 1 manderine fish, and not forgetting a tropical fish (molly) that evaded being eaten for lunch unlike the rest of his family for my dog faced puffer, it's been in there for 2 months and nothing has been added since I added the mollies for lunch 8O otherwise everything has been together for at least 4 or 5 months.

It sounds like a bristle worm to me. Do a search and check out the different types. They are good for your tank.

Your puffer will eat all your small fish if you don't watch it. :wink:

 

[janbokev]

Hi Crissy, I have had a look and can't seem to see anything that looks like what I saw, I really do wish they come with tags attached it would make life easier :lol: as for Jim (the puffer fish) he's more scared of them the only things he goes for are my brittle stars poor things have had about 10 inches off their legs in total thanks to him :? just as they grow back, up he comes and takes another chunk, I know I had a very little baby brittle star in my tank he's white or was! not sure if he's had that
he has had a few hermit crabs and has had a go at my urchin but the fish are fine. One of my domino damsels acts really cocky with Jim, when Jim's feeding it comes along and slaps him on the head with it's tail because it wants to eat his piece if fish, it's got some balls or it's just plain stupid :roll: not sure which.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Crissy, I have had a look and can't seem to see anything that looks like what I saw, I really do wish they come with tags attached it would make life easier :lol: as for Jim (the puffer fish) he's more scared of them the only things he goes for are my brittle stars poor things have had about 10 inches off their legs in total thanks to him :? just as they grow back, up he comes and takes another chunk, I know I had a very little baby brittle star in my tank he's white or was! not sure if he's had that
he has had a few hermit crabs and has had a go at my urchin but the fish are fine. One of my domino damsels acts really cocky with Jim, when Jim's feeding it comes along and slaps him on the head with it's tail because it wants to eat his piece if fish, it's got some balls or it's just plain stupid :roll: not sure which.

BTW, :welcome:

Domino damsels are some aggressive little buggers. I had one that was just plain mean. He got sold back to the LFS.

So you say these pink worms swim or do they just come out of crevises in the rock?

 

[Anonymous]

Check out the hitch hikers forum....

Pg. 1, pic 5 Bristle worm

pg. 2, pic 2 - star
pg. 2, pic 4 - different bristle worm

Let me know.

 

[janbokev]

It just appeared last night as was on the computer and coud see something from the corner of my eye, it was swimming about half way up the tank in the middle of the water I have no idea where it came from or went back to. There is only the one I have seen and if you can imagine a spring and stetch it so has gaps then twiz it round in a circle that's what it swam like.
Janet

 

[janbokev]

can't seem to find it on there anywhere. I must make sure I have my camera handy in future. I will keep looking till I find anything it looks like :x

 

[mr_X]

hmm..haven't seen a bristle worm swim half way up the tank yet though. mine don't swim at all really....just squirm on the bottom or creep up rock...never actually suspended in mid-water. 8O

 

[janbokev]

Hi Doug, Would you still suggest it being a bristle worm then? I have been looking for it all day in my tank, I bet the slippery little sucker is sat looking at me :lol: "

 

[mr_X]

hmm..no..i would not. anyone else?

 

[trido]

I would feel safe to say that it is not a bristle worm. I once saw one of these little things swimming like a cork screw in my fuge. Thought it was quite interesting. Never gave it a second thought after that. I dont have a tank full of these things now so I wouldnt worry about it if I was you.