Isopod and Worm ID

[jeremym77]

Hello everyone, I recently purchased some live rock from kp-aquatics and am having some trouble identifying two hitchikers.

One is an isopod that I think is Sphaeromatids but would like to get some other opinions. The third picture is the isopod curled up on its back.

The other is a worm I think or possibly an arm from a starfish. The second picture is the animal upside down.

The rock is currently curing in a brute can so I can take preventative steps if need be. Please let me know if any further info or pics are needed. I still have the isopod alive in a small container, the worm(?) died shortly after opening the box of rock.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Look up scale worm. If that's what it is, you don't want it.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Not sure on the isopod (a lot of types looks similar to me, and I haven’t read up on them enough to differentiate them yet), but it looks like it definitely may be a Sphaeromatid - if it curls into a ball, that’s a good sign.

I was also going to suggest looking up scale worms - they’re a kind of bristle worm (polychaete), but they’re reportedly predatory.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

This might help

Thread 'How to tell the difference between "good" and "bad" Isopods (CIROLANID VERSES SPHAEROMATID ISOPODS)' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...cirolanid-verses-sphaeromatid-isopods.251779/

 

[jeremym77]

Look up scale worm. If that's what it is, you don't want it.

Looks to be scale worm. Lord help me, an armored predatory bristle worm.

Not sure on the isopod (a lot of types looks similar to me, and I haven’t read up on them enough to differentiate them yet), but it looks like it definitely may be a Sphaeromatid - if it curls into a ball, that’s a good sign.

I was also going to suggest looking up scale worms - they’re a kind of bristle worm (polychaete), but they’re reportedly predatory.

It did curl so that gives me lots of hope.

This might help

Thread 'How to tell the difference between "good" and "bad" Isopods (CIROLANID VERSES SPHAEROMATID ISOPODS)' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...cirolanid-verses-sphaeromatid-isopods.251779/

Thank you, I have seen this post, but then I also saw the picture below from a reefkeeping article (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/rs/index.php) and thought I could use extra sets of eyes.

Appreciate all the help yall. Going to dip the rock in 1.035 sg saltwater to see if any more scale worms are hiding.

 

[jeremym77]

Dipped all the rock, got another gorilla crab and a couple more pistol shrimp. Was looking at the rock not too long ago… please tell me this isnt a bobbit

Apologies for the poor quality

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Dipped all the rock, got another gorilla crab and a couple more pistol shrimp. Was looking at the rock not too long ago… please tell me this isnt a bobbit

Apologies for the poor quality

It's definitely a Eunicid species, but not necessarily a bobbit (in fact, I'd guess it's likely not a bobbit, as those tend to burrow in the sand) - there are a number of Eunice spp. and Leodice spp. that look like this (i.e. that look similar to the bobbit, Eunice aphroditois).

The handful of species that I've looked at that look like this are probably not ones that you'd want in the tank though.

 

[jeremym77]

It's definitely a Eunicid species, but not necessarily a bobbit (in fact, I'd guess it's likely not a bobbit, as those tend to burrow in the sand) - there are a number of Eunice spp. and Leodice spp. that look like this (i.e. that look similar to the bobbit, Eunice aphroditois).

The handful of species that I've looked at that look like this are probably not ones that you'd want in the tank though.

Thanks for the info. Do you have any recommendations on how to remove it. I dipped the rocks in 47ppt saltwater for at least a minute and they didn’t come off. I was reading people use club soda on here?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Thanks for the info. Do you have any recommendations on how to remove it. I dipped the rocks in 47ppt saltwater for at least a minute and they didn’t come off. I was reading people use club soda on here?

Some people do club soda, some try to bait them into traps, and others just put something in the tank that would hopefully eat them (such as arrow crabs, certain wrasses, etc.) - I don't know what would be most effective in this case though.

 

[fishywishy]

Thanks for the info. Do you have any recommendations on how to remove it. I dipped the rocks in 47ppt saltwater for at least a minute and they didn’t come off. I was reading people use club soda on here?

Dips didn’t work for me at all but maybe people had more success with club soda dips. I would just set up some traps or get a red light and just wait by the tank at night and wait for something to come out of the rocks and snatch it. If you’re really worried (this is a last resort option if you start seeing a lot of bad hitchhikers) you can take out any critters you want and then raise the ammonia levels really high and just kill everything in the rock. Btw I would remove any pistol shrimps unless they can pair with a goby because they are annoying af.

 

[jeremym77]

Ive removed the pistol shrimp and gave them to my lfs.

dang, starting to regret getting this rock. Going to get some club soda and see how that goes. Thanks again for both of yalls help.

 

[kjkszpj9]

Dipped all the rock, got another gorilla crab and a couple more pistol shrimp. Was looking at the rock not too long ago… please tell me this isnt a bobbit

Apologies for the poor quality

theres only one so called "bobbit worm" and its named Eunice Aphroditois and theres alot of Eunice species which range from 0.5cm to 300cm so its one of the Eunice worms just not THE bobbit worm, you can never trust the eunice worms to be harmless some are scavangers some are predators some are both etc.

 

[jeremym77]

theres only one so called "bobbit worm" and its named Eunice Aphroditois and theres alot of Eunice species which range from 0.5cm to 300cm so its one of the Eunice worms just not THE bobbit worm, you can never trust the eunice worms to be harmless some are scavangers some are predators some are both etc.

Thanks for the info. Upon further research it looks to be eunice valens. Although i know a positive ID is hard as there are many kinds that look similar. Either way, one was over 12” long and moved faster than a bristle so I am definitely not adding the rock till those are dead. I have found at least 10 on the rock. At my wits end here. May have to kill the rock which would defeat the whole purpose of buying it.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Thanks for the info. Upon further research it looks to be eunice valens. Although i know a positive ID is hard as there are many kinds that look similar. Either way, one was over 12” long and moved faster than a bristle so I am definitely not adding the rock till those are dead. I have found at least 10 on the rock. At my wits end here. May have to kill the rock which would defeat the whole purpose of buying it.

Do you have another tank you can use to observe the rock for a while? That way you can take your time removing hitchhikers, maybe set some traps, etc...

 

[kjkszpj9]

Do you have another tank you can use to observe the rock for a while? That way you can take your time removing hitchhikers, maybe set some traps, etc...

Wont a live rock survive pretty much forever in a big bucket of saltwater without heater or pump or am i wrong?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Wont a live rock survive pretty much forever in a big bucket of saltwater without heater or pump or am i wrong?

He's looking to rid it of the worms. How will putting it in a bucket "forever" help with that?

 

[kjkszpj9]

He's looking to rid it of the worms. How will putting it in a bucket "forever" help with that?

Idk just having it ina bucket until he can figure out how to get the worms out.

 

[jeremym77]

Sorry for the delay in response. Needed to take a step back and just cut my losses. I tried everything. Club soda killed some beneficial inverts but no worms so I stopped after a couple rocks, and the worms wouldnt leave the rock completely so traps were ineffective. The worms can split in half and reproduce this way so you have to ensure you get the whole worm. I felt like I was just continuing to waste my time and money through researching solutions and doing water changes. Im also in an apartment and dont have an RODI system so that was a hassle. Phillip reached out and he was nice, but offered no solutions outside of what was offered here and on his site. He even told me to let him know if I find a solution as he would like to know one…

Everything i read on here and other forums pointed to the worms being predatory and not something I would want in the tank. I saw that they would go after small inverts, coral, clams, and even fish as they got bigger. Cut my losses and am now looking for new live rock lol. Might just go to WWC and buy something I know is live, pest free, and good to go. My plan was to replace some rock I currently have due to coral boring spionid worms which are devastating some of my sps and clams. Wanted to get the best stuff I could find and needless to say still looking. Sucks too because I heard/read nothing but great things about KPA.

Anyways, thanks to everyone that responded. Appreciate all the help.

 

[fishywishy]

Sorry for the delay in response. Needed to take a step back and just cut my losses. I tried everything. Club soda killed some beneficial inverts but no worms so I stopped after a couple rocks, and the worms wouldnt leave the rock completely so traps were ineffective. The worms can split in half and reproduce this way so you have to ensure you get the whole worm. I felt like I was just continuing to waste my time and money through researching solutions and doing water changes. Im also in an apartment and dont have an RODI system so that was a hassle. Phillip reached out and he was nice, but offered no solutions outside of what was offered here and on his site. He even told me to let him know if I find a solution as he would like to know one…

Everything i read on here and other forums pointed to the worms being predatory and not something I would want in the tank. I saw that they would go after small inverts, coral, clams, and even fish as they got bigger. Cut my losses and am now looking for new live rock lol. Might just go to WWC and buy something I know is live, pest free, and good to go. My plan was to replace some rock I currently have due to coral boring spionid worms which are devastating some of my sps and clams. Wanted to get the best stuff I could find and needless to say still looking. Sucks too because I heard/read nothing but great things about KPA.

Anyways, thanks to everyone that responded. Appreciate all the help.

What I would do is just raise your ammonia through the roof and just kill everything if your looking to get some different rock anyway. Your beneficial bacteria, cyano and maybe some sponges and algae will survive but most of the pest will not survive. If you know what rocks the bad inverts are in I would just put them in a different tank or bucket and wait for them to come out at night maybe put a shrimp in the bottom of the container and wait for them to come out and eat it. If that doesn’t work you can still keep the rock to the side or in a sump because after about a year and half the pest will start to out grow the holes in the rock and come out more often so they will be easy to catch. If you do end up getting more rock get some cultured rock instead and put your old rock in a sump. It’s just as pretty if you get it from the right place and it’s pest free.

 

[bryan47caveman]

Soak it in a bucket of freshwater over night, everything will die and then you can reuse the rock in your tank, it’ll come back to life over time