IMO all the pests above mentioned (stars, small worms, Apteisa etc) are Nothing ! compare to Giant Eunicid worm.
And this is
the single reason that i will never start another tank with live rock.
The small or tiny Eunicid can be hiding in the hole and buyer will never know it’s there regardless how hard you look or how informed you are.
The only way to be sure at least in the beginning is to go Dry Rock.
http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm
.
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=50897
.
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchworms.html
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc971vWUmbQ
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...D8jWvYEHI&NR=1
.
I got one out of my tank a couple of years ago but now another one grown.
This thing just recently ate $100 worth of zoas and took the best ones first.
Scrapes the zoas so clean off the rock and so fast! Some times in less than few hours.
Having said all that I kind of like the idea of keeping it in a species tank or a small nano so it can be seen and fed but I can’t take it out of my reef because I don’t want to take the reef apart.
May be I will feed it so it won’t go for the soft & LPS corals. Why it doesn’t eat the Kenya tree or GSP?!!! Or any other fast growing staff? Why it always goes for the best looking, most expensive and brightest color?
I wonder if I do start to target feed the Giant Eunicid Worm how big can it get in 65Gal tank? 7 footer seems like a good size for a show piece critter LOL.
Mine now is maybe 2 feet only but you will not believe how strong it is! It moves rocks and frags almost every night if I keep moving things away from its hiding place. But its also very hard to see, I saw it may be two years ago once! It will sense movement or vibration (I suspect) and will hide long before I can get close enough to the tank to see if its out in the open area.
It will not be possible to catch one with regular worm trap because (as I was told) it will never let go its tail of the hiding hole, just in case it will need to retract quickly.
Also this thing is very quick learner it will never do the same mistake twice!
So if you want to catch it do it right the first time or you will never be able to try again the same method.
I was told Harlequin Taskfish will take it out. But so it will eat all other shrimps crabs and molluscs in your tank.