YHSublime January 10, 2014 Share January 10, 2014 Wow "D" just read this thread. I know you love your setup as I, but pull the trigger and remove the rock and rebuild the structure. I have an additional Rubbermaid that you can use as long as you like. I know it sounds extreme but you will be better off in the end IMHO to the OP, the 8th post down here has IMO, the best information I have heard on catching them. I don't know how accurate it may be, but it seems like they have had experience with them. This thing has fascinated me, and I've tried to dig up as much info today as I can. From what I've gathered, I'd have to agree with DC, getting it out will require removing that one particular favorite rock with all those nice acros. Not because if it's halfed it will become another one, but because it is like greased lightening. You could always wait until it moves it's burrow, but it only will move it's burrow if it needs to feed, and it seems to me like it has plenty to eat in it's current location. Most posts I've read from people who have taken out the rock, still have to crack the rock to get it out, and even then, it's still reported as a huge problem, as these things can curl up tight inside. The rock has to be close to demolished. The silver lining is, you already know what rock it's made into a burrow. IMO chipping at the rock to get it out will become tiresome and unsuccessful, and you will end up having to remove the rock in the end, but that is just my opinion. No matter what you do, please keep documenting the process, and thanks for those awesome pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjeffers88 January 10, 2014 Author Share January 10, 2014 I'm so upset right now... So being distracted by the bobbit... And a new baby I haven't stared at the tank for hours and he's done feeding.... Earlier I said no fish have been a victim. MY LOVING MANDARIN WAS EATEN! I cried. Post pregnancy emotions are crazy. I want to smash his head in and throw him in boiling water... We're going to try using a decent size PVC pipe to catch him at night. Breaking the rock is decadences last resort. And well post more pictures, videos, and ongoing process! I hope no one else on wamas will ever have to run into this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkey18 January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 I am so sorry about your fish. That thing has got to go! How long do you think it's been in your tank? When did you first notice things were disappearing? That video is going to give me serious nightmares… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 Take the rock out and break off all coral you can... Then just let the rock sit outside for a few days. That will solve your problem and you wont have to try and smash the rock to bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkey18 January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 I think after you catch the worm you should give it to Isaac to put in with his mantis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 I think after you catch the worm you should give it to Isaac to put in with his mantis. I would take it. I have an affinity for these strange creatures of the ocean. That and I think they're just fascinating. I wouldn't want one in my display though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjeffers88 January 11, 2014 Author Share January 11, 2014 I honestly wonder how that battle would go. We had a mantis shrimp before and he was great... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 It's not a bobbit worm, but just a large fireworm. It's not likely that it eats coral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decadence January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 It's not a bobbit worm, but just a large fireworm. It's not likely that it eats coral. In the pictures, you can see him nibbling on the rim of the Idaho grape. The damage on that corals has been constant on the rim and I saw it in action last night. I have also been having the axial polyps dug out in acros constantly. I would wake up and find 5-15 branches seam like the last 1/16" of the tips were snipped by bone cutters. I watched him do this last night to 10 branches of my 6" ice blue tenius colony. He also snipped three tips from my purple/green stag last night but I didn't witness it, just woke up to the damage. He has been eating acro polyps, monti caps, zoas (not palys though) and GSP. I'm pretty sure that he is a bobbit because he has tiny legs all up his body rather than the fuzz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squishie89 January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 I would take it. I have an affinity for these strange creatures of the ocean. That and I think they're just fascinating. I wouldn't want one in my display though! I agree, I find these things beautiful, fascinating and just a tribute to natures amazingness (yes, that is a word). I wish you guys the utmost best in catching him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJT January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 Good luck. One good thing is that a worm that big can hide only a few places completely. Wear gloves if you got'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worm5406 January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 Good luck. One good thing is that a worm that big can hide only a few places completely. Wear gloves if you got'em. Hey... leave my relatives alone!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 are you sure it's not eating food that is on the tips of the acros or maybe just crawling across them and it's irritating the corals? Bobbit worms are typically mud and sand dwellers and are ambush predators. The pictures you provided all appear to be bristleworms. Bristle worms have many tiny legs with few hairs unlike fire worms which have lots of hairs. I suggest you capture the worm in it's entirety and put it into a small tank and see if it actually eats coral polyps and video it to prove that this is a coral eater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 maybe you should keep it as part of the display and only add fish or other critters that will be able to survive with a predator in the tank? I don't think it's going to eat all of your corals especially if you target feed the worm. Plus, by "training" it to eat prepared foods, it will more easily be captured. You really only have to cut the head off to kill it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJT January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 Hey... leave my relatives alone!! Sorry sir. I didn't realize this worm is your brother from another mother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decadence January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 He has already for too much damage to my SPS. It hasn't been anything outpacing growth but its still enough to be unwelcome. If I didn't watch him chowing down in the rim of the cap, I wouldn't believe if. He didn't just eat the flesh, the cap has the rim broken away all the way around it like someone carefully snipped it off. The same thing happens to the acros, just the tips are snipped off and the axial polyps are gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 death to the worm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 11, 2014 Share January 11, 2014 Didn't this tank have redbugs? Maybe a good time to dose interceptor. That might take the worm out? After all it is a heartworm medication... Not sure about that though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decadence January 12, 2014 Share January 12, 2014 Didn't this tank have redbugs? Maybe a good time to dose interceptor. That might take the worm out? After all it is a heartworm medication... Not sure about that though. It did for a while but not anymore. They all died off when the tank temperature dropped to around 63 for a day after I unplugged my heaters searching for stray voltage and plugged them back into the wrong port. I don't particularly want to kill it, especially while it is in the tank. This sucker could be 4ft long and cause an ammonia spike if he dies in there. I hadn't thought of using interceptor but prazipro and flatworm exit both came to mind. I have heard accounts of hyposalinity or low temperatures flushing out bristle worms... If I have to tear the rock apart to get to him, a bigger tank is going up as we have slowly been building a ridiculous life-support system to support one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef January 12, 2014 Share January 12, 2014 I vote build the larger tank...and get everything moved over! (Excluding the worm obviously) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR-Tanked150 January 12, 2014 Share January 12, 2014 I vote bigger tank too, how big are you thinking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads January 12, 2014 Share January 12, 2014 are you sure it's not eating food that is on the tips of the acros or maybe just crawling across them and it's irritating the corals? Bobbit worms are typically mud and sand dwellers and are ambush predators. The pictures you provided all appear to be bristleworms. Bristle worms have many tiny legs with few hairs unlike fire worms which have lots of hairs. I suggest you capture the worm in it's entirety and put it into a small tank and see if it actually eats coral polyps and video it to prove that this is a coral eater. From what I see in the pictures provided this thing looks exactly like the images of bobbit worms I see online. Also from the looks of the tank there isn't enough sandy substrate for it to make a borrow typical of these worms. I was skeptical at first as well, but from this account I side with the OP, this is a bobbit worm, the is out of its element and eating whatever it can to survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gws3 January 12, 2014 Share January 12, 2014 best not to chop it actually... it does become multiple worms... sick... http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/bobbit-worms-split-sections-regenerate-6236955 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trott January 12, 2014 Share January 12, 2014 I had one that was 24 inches long. I used a piece of shrimp that I tied it to a rock and put it in the corner . The warm would have to extend itself to reach the shrimp, I would leave your tank open because when you open the canopy he can detect and he will retract before you can get inside the tank. Use your long handle tweezers grab it in the middle and then twist the tweezers to roll with it up likep spaghetti on a fork. Take it slow do not pull because he will break just take it slowly . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjeffers88 January 12, 2014 Author Share January 12, 2014 I had one that was 24 inches long. I used a piece of shrimp that I tied it to a rock and put it in the corner . The warm would have to extend itself to reach the shrimp, I would leave your tank open because when you open the canopy he can detect and he will retract before you can get inside the tank. Use your long handle tweezers grab it in the middle and then twist the tweezers to roll with it up likep spaghetti on a fork. Take it slow do not pull because he will break just take it slowly . We will have to move our invertebrates ASAP and maybe try this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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