what is this worm?

[donf]

Today I saw this large worm (several inches long, 1/4" diameter) come out of the new LR I received yesterday from LR.com. It is RED and went back into the rock when I turned the light on. Here is a pic of his tail end as he headed back into the rock. Good guy or bad guy?

 

[donf]

hitchhicker - what is this

I saw this rather large red worm coming out of one of the pcs of LR I received yesterday from LR.com. It looked to be several inches long and about a 1/4 inch in diameter. Is he good or bad?

 

[bound_for_obx]

It's a bristle worm. Bristle Worms are good detrovores. On the other hand, I had a couple that looked similar to the critter you have. I removed them after they started munching on a leather coral. Personally, I'd leave them in until they prove themselves untrustworthy. But they can be easily removed with a turkey baster if you really want them out.

 

[steve-s]

It's a fireworm and typically a bad addition. If you have no corals and don't plan on any, then no worries. If you are planning a reef, best to remove it now.

Cheers
Steve

 

[donf]

thanks steve. Is a fire worm the same as a bristle worm?

 

[steve-s]

They are both polychaetes but not "the same" worm. Fireworms are a type of bristleworm but these types are usually predaceous where common bristleworms are not.

Cheers
Steve

 

[steve-s]

Duplicate posts merged...

Cheers
Steve

 

[Devilishturtles]

When fireworms get larger, they can also be a threat to your smaller shrimp, clams, crabs, etc. I had one kill my coral banded shrimp...

So, if you plan on keeping any of them, or any type of coral or anemone, I'd go ahead and get it out of there.

Incase you don't know already, don't touch the worm with your hands. They have posionous spines on the end of them that will leave some nasty welts on your hand, along with some pretty bad pain.

 

[Brad]

I had both types. I couldn't easily differentiate between them. I simply waited for one to expose his tastes. If he latched onto a valuable coral, I just reached in with tweezers and removed him.