What the heck is this thing??

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greech

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May 13, 2009
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Greech, back to the important point, how in blazes do you get RID of these things?? and by "spines that can cause permanent numbness" I am assuming you mean cause this to the human who attempts the aforementioned removal?

yeep. /reconsiders salt tank yet again
I guess I didn't mention in my post but the monster in the pic I posted is NOT a bristle worm but rather a 4'+ eunicid worm. Not nearly as common in the hobby as BWs but if you find one, pack up the wife and kids and head for the hills :).
 

greech

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May 13, 2009
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Call me hard-headed but I'm sticking with a long BW :). But if its more round (like an earthworm) it could be one of these guys...

http://spineless.ucsd.edu/Annelida%20AToL%20site/Capitella.html

Would explain them rarely/never coming to the surface. Either way, I think it's safe to say the worm is a benefit to your system.
 

Amphiprion

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Feb 14, 2007
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I have a large capitellid myself. Does a great job of munching on decaying matter and detritus deep in the sand. Yours is quite the specimen, too--mine is nowhere near that size.
 

Arakkis

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Apr 7, 2008
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SJ Cali
I've had one of those before.. swims around during the night
 

MoonstruckMuse

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If you can get a better picture of the worm, I bet you could email it to the PI of that lab that greech linked - all the professors I've ever emailed pics too have been excited to know that their field is being acknowledged, hehe. He might have a better idea of if it is that or not, and if it is, what species it might be, and how to either care for or remove it.
 

StarStruck8

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:jaw:
 

Amphiprion

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Ha, got a (shoddy) pic of mine mowing some detritus near the front glass. He's about 2x the diameter of a pencil. I wish the pic was better, but I rushed to try to get it. This was as it was stretching its prostomium out to nom some detritus:

 

OhioOilMan

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Its as if this thing grows more and more every day too!!
 
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