Night hunting for a newbie :)

[TracyFacey]

Found a weird worm in my tank a couple nights ago. I just lost 3 fish and a baby peppermint shrimp so I hope this isn't the cause. I decided to stay up and hunt for it to get a picture but I haven't seen it since. I have been digging around online to see what I could find and haven't found anything that resembles it. Maybe a ribbon worm? The mouth isn't the same though. It looks like an elephant trunk kinda. Maybe I can poll the audience?

It is smooth and pink without legs. From the part that came out of between the sand and rock it appeared to be 4+ inches long and maybe 3mm wide. It came out like an elephant trunk and bit down on something in the sand and went back in. It did this about 3 times. As soon as I saw it I grabbed a flashlight and my camera phone... It freaked out from the light and it has been MIA since.

My best description would be if a tremor and nightcrawler had a baby this worm would be the spawn! LOL

Any ideas? Sorry, I've been dying to get a pic but the stupid thing just keeps hiding.

 

[TracyFacey]

Also found these random things while looking for the killer worm. There's 2 of them.

Ball Anemone?

 

[TracyFacey]

One more. No idea what this yellow thing is.

 

[saltwaternewbie12]

Not sure about the worm or pic 1..... Pic 2 is a Kenya tree coral.....pic 3 looks like a yellow sponge.....2 and 3 are both fine....

 

[aquandrew]

pic 1 is a ball anemone

 

[mr_X]

Corynactis in pic 1. Nothing to worry about. There are only a few worms that can kill fish and shrimp that end up in our tanks. google eunicid worm. Most of the time people see common bristle worms, which cannot catch shrimp and fish.

 

[mr_X]

also "bobbit worm" is another name for this predator-
Eunice aphroditois is rainbow, terrifying | Running Ponies, Scientific American Blog Network

 

[TracyFacey]

Thank you for the reply I was looking online and found this picture. It looks exactly like the worm that I saw in my tank. It it smooth and not segmented at all. No prickles. Any ideas?

 

[TracyFacey]

So this means I have 2 ball anemones in one tank and one in another tank! I thought they were rare? Lucky me! Will they try to sting my fish at all?

This is the one that I attached in pic 2 but it was too dark to see.

 

[mr_X]

No. These corynactis won't amount to anything. As for your worm, I'm thinking peanut worm maybe...
Peanuts by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com

 

[melosu58]

I was thinking peanut worm also.

 

[TracyFacey]

I looked up peanut worms and thought possibly but the mouth is not the same. Considering I saw the mouth open and eat something in the sand I can verify that it is not a peanut worm. It looks more like an elephant trunk mouth but only one hole. Exactly like the one in the picture above.

Question is... How do I get it out? Will a bottle trap work? What if it traps my fish and the worm together and just makes it easier to attack if this is the reason my fish are dying?

I honestly don't know if I could ever put my hand back in this tank ever again! LOL

 

[Sniperhank]

I'm in agreement with the ID. There is no way a peanut worm is killing your livestock.

 

[mr_X]

It may or may not be a peanut worm, but it's not the reason your fish are dying. If you can see it, can you grab it and pull it out with a pair of tongs or something? Please take a few detailed pictures of it if you are able to get it.
I wouldn't try a bottle trap for a worm. Perhaps a mesh sock like pantyhose material with some food in it.

 

[TracyFacey]

Think I might have found it! Removed it and it's sitting in a styrofoam container on my counter until I know if it's safe. Does this thing have a worm like thing that comes out of it? Is it safe?

 

[Stlrockguy]

That's a Stomatella snail. Reef safe and good part of the clean up crew

 

[TracyFacey]

Crap! Is it going to die in the container or will it be ok to wait for me today?

 

[Stlrockguy]

Should be

 

[mr_X]

Yeah...that's a good guy. No worm-like thing comes out of it though.