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View Full Version : Burrowing worm removal

my2rotties
05-20-2009, 12:50 AM
We have come across a couple of burrowing type worms in some of the corals we are dipping. We have tried manual removal, and the worm just breaks in half. We do this after dipping but I really have no clue if they were killed with the dip.

How bad is this issue?
Aquattro
05-20-2009, 12:55 AM
Never, ever heard of burrowing worms. got pics?
my2rotties
05-20-2009, 01:09 AM
We removed the worms, I cannot get a decent picture with the iPhone. I do not have any other camera. You can see holes tunneling right through the coral. At the top of it was a little worm that almost looked like it had a crab claw type mouth. It was pretty small, and the tunnels are about 2mm across.

Never, ever heard of burrowing worms. got pics?
JDigital
05-20-2009, 01:20 AM
Sounds like Vermatid Snails.... sorta.

http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0897/0897_8.html
my2rotties
05-20-2009, 02:00 AM
The one worm thing we removed was about an inch or so long, with a black body which fell apart when we tried t pick it out. I cannot say for sure if this was a vermatid snail or not. Like you said, it sounds like one... sort of.

Sounds like Vermatid Snails.... sorta.

http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0897/0897_8.html
Zoaelite
05-20-2009, 02:04 AM
Never, ever heard of burrowing worms. got pics?

+2 on that, could you be talking about a species of Christmas Tree worm? Do they seem to be negatively influencing the coral?
Levi
my2rotties
05-20-2009, 02:23 AM
They are burrowing through the skeleton... the coral seems alright aside of the damage of the tunnels. At one end of the hole, there was a thing that looked like a little crab claw almost... this is the best I can describe it. I am trying to get pictures of the hole itself, but the critter was removed and there are no photos of it. When we pulled it out, it broke apart and squished. Not much left to take a pictures of...

I keep trying to get pictures but an iPhone is just not the thing to take close up shots like this.

+2 on that, could you be talking about a species of Christmas Tree worm? Do they seem to be negatively influencing the coral?
Levi
Aquattro
05-20-2009, 02:30 AM
I keep trying to get pictures but an iPhone is just not the thing to take close up shits like this.

you meant shots, right? :)
justinl
05-20-2009, 02:32 AM
... and you're certain the coral didn't just grow around the worm?
my2rotties
05-20-2009, 02:34 AM
Oh no!!! Going to fix it now... better hit the penalty box...

you meant shots, right? :)
my2rotties
05-20-2009, 02:38 AM
I noticed a hole and bump in the coral awhile back, but it was increasing in size. It seemed to have no ill effect on the coral so far... but why take a chance. The one piece had more and more little burrows starting out, but there was one or two burrows going through the base of the coral and going in between branches. I had pulled everything out due to a flat worm issue, and decided to wipe out whatever might be an issue. I had two hairy crabs pretending to be acro crabs... they are now dead as well.

... and you're certain the coral didn't just grow around the worm?