spaghetti worm / hair worm (1 Viewer)

[h2oimports]

i have a couple of these guys in my tank and would like to get rid of them some how. i think they are called spaghetti worm or hair worms. i have tried to look online to see how i can get rid of them but found no luck so far. my rics and zoas are getting bothered by them and will not open up. any suggestions?. i was thinkin maybe a wrass would get rid of them but im not sure. please help

 

[goby1kanobi]

Tagging along, see what folks say.

 

[cliner]

2nd pic. What tha?

 

[MarkieB]

I think you are on target in identification.
From the Zoanthid pic I can see they are most likely irritating your corals.

IF you only have a couple of them as posted, then I would just kill those.
A syringe filled with lemon juice or a strong kalk solution can be injected in them and your done. Just be sure not to use more than a couple of mil in the tank each day.

 

[h2oimports]

oh okay.. ill try that and see how it goes. thanks alot MarkieB

 

[andrew7b]

I found some in my tank the other days. I used a tong to take it out.

 

[flipside]

I found one stuck to my sump, and one on a frag plug. I used tweezers and just kept tuggin.

Thanks for IDing what I had in my junk.

 

[CBBSteve]

Another option is to put a spot of superglue in his hole, he won't come out after that.

Here's an article about those worms
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/rs/index.php

Good luck,
Steve

 

[goby1kanobi]

Eeeeewww-I hate worms.....I hate worms.......

 

[Guest]

We have a spaghetti worm and we kinda like him - his name is Al, short for Alfredo

Thankfully, he's not near any of our corals, so he doesn't bother us or them!

(They are really creepy, though, eh?)

 

[Wiggy]

For critters like that I take a coffee cup of my tank water and microwave it to near boiling. Then use the same syringe technique to get rid of pest. That way you are just re-introducing your own water back into the tank. Works well on small aptasia outbreaks and pretty much any other nuisance that hangs out in your rocks and sand. Of course I wouldn't recommend it next to your zoa's.

 

[h2oimports]

i couldnt pick some off . but i managed to get this one out a couple seconds ago because i saw him floating around =). phew..

wiggy should i boil him in a coffee cup too? lol

 

[Wiggy]

Sure! Add a little honey and lemon for a soothing cup of spaghetti worm tea!

 

[R-BallJunkie]

This is a losing battle. Not too sure what the bru ha ha is over them. They are beneficial, as they will sweep the sand bed for detritus and help clean.

If you have them, you wont be rid of them, no matter how obsessive compulsive you get, or what ever your tactics.

Let them be. End of the day, they wont eat any livestock, just trash on the sand bed.

If you want to get a 6line, sure go for it. He might do some picking, but like I said, you will never rid your tank of them.

If you keep going, you are going to tear up the golf course, like Bill Murray going after the gopher