How to get rid of spaghetti worms

[taylorn13]

Hey yall. Wasn’t quite sure where to post this thread, but I need some help. About a month or so ago, I got a spaghetti worm as a hitchhiker on a frag. I knew they were good guys so I let him stay. Flash foward to now, they’re all over my tank probably about 10 of them. I want them GONE. Starting to make my tank pretty ugly now lol (and upsetting my zoas). I have a 20g tank with 2 clowns, 2 sexy shrimps, and 1 fire shrimp. I have a refugium with a pod population up and running as well. I’ve tried starving my tank of nutrients (until phosphates and nitrates were getting too low for my liking) which didn’t work. I’ve also picked some out of my tank with tweezers, but there’s still some shove in between my rockwork that I cannot reach. Is there any suitible fish/invert that will kill these suckers once and for all and won’t dessimate my pod population?

 

[DanConnor]

Hmmm... I have one frag with a spaghetti worm on it right now.

Plenty of fish should eat them, but not sure about in a 20 gallon. A wrasse like 6-line might work, but not sure what would happen with the sexy shrimp. Same with coral banded shrimp

 

[jeffchapok]

I have lots of them and neither my 6 line wrasse or coral banded shrimp touch them. In fact, I've never seen anything eat one. I've just learned to live with them.

They mostly settle in my substrate, but a few take up residency in the rocks. It's possible my nassarius snails eat them, but I've never witnessed it.

 

[Hermie]

honestly I would not buy a fish "just to get rid of spaghetti worms"

unless you really like the fish

 

[taylorn13]

honestly I would not buy a fish "just to get rid of spaghetti worms"

unless you really like the fish

Well I mean both. One of the lfs near me allow you to sell back fish. I was planning on doing that if it was something like a wrasse because I know they can get real mean. If they get along with everyone else, then I’m not opposed to keep it! I actually have more room for another fish anyways!

 

[User1]

Well here is the deal.

Welcome to the club. They are not bad. They are in fact great. They are ugly. Nothing really eats them per say but I can confirm my Copperband butterfly loves them. A few wrasses may but I won't say for sure because at the moment I do not own one.

There isn't really an ideal way to get rid of them other than these two methods (unless you do have a fish that consumes them):

1. Lower your nutrients. One reason why they are great to have is that their population balance is directly related to the hobbyist maintenance and feeding habits. Really. You want to control them then feed less or only enough that the fish consume. Their population will drop accordingly. I've witnessed this on two occasions such that I had so many I would see them floating in the water column. Lower feedings to the correct amount and the population would decrease. So a great indicator.

2. Manually siphon when doing water changes. Easy peezy. Next water change before take a look to see where they are and then siphon away.

As noted above no need to buy a fish to get rid of them. Just review the tank, how many you have, can you manually siphon, can you live with the rest knowing you can manage their population by nutrients. They really are great in my opinion anyway.

 

[OrionN]

Spaghetti worms are good worm to have. Good scavengers. However, if you want them gone then just get a turkey blaster and suck them up. Dispossed of them and put the sand back. A lot of my wrasse eat them, and my CBB eliminated them but these are not for a 20 gal tank.

YOUR HANDS will do just fine.