Help Id Please

[JEWELEDAQUARIUM]

OK YESTERDAY WHEN FEEDING MY TANK I KNOTICED A SMALL WORM-LIKE THING COMING OUT OF A SMALL HOLE IN MY LR. AT FISRT GLANCE I THOUGHT IT WAS THE TIP OF MY BRITTLE STAR'S LEG, HOWEVER I THEN NOTICED MY STAR ELSEWHERE IN THE TANK SO FAT CHANCE. BUT DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS IS? IT LOOKS JUST LIKE THE TIP OF A BRITTLE STARS LEG ONLY A TAD MORE PINKISH IN COLOR. IT WAS VERY SMALL NO LONGER THAN MY PINKIE NAIL & THIN. IT DID NOT STAY VERY LONG AT WENT BACK IN & HID. I TRIED TO GET A PIC BUT COULDN'T. ANYONE EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS? GOOD OR BAD?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANKS!

[Dador]

Pic would confirm but sounds like a bristle worm. Check out some of the posts for bristle worms and you'll probably find a picture.

[omard]

Sounds like a bristle worm...

Could be good/bad depending on conditions, amounts and size...

Much up to you...

If gets out of hand...see:

Bad Type Bristleworms Control

(About.com)

Ways to Prevent and Remove Infestations

Remove them by hand using tweezers or a net when you see them.

Buy a bristleworm trap, or make your own.
Use a baited nylon stocking.

Introduce a natural predator of these worms into the aquarium, such as a Dottyback, Wrasse of the Halichoeres family, Bird Wrasse (Gomphosus varius), Maori Wrasse (Cheilinus oxycephalus), Sunset Wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens), Coral Banded Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) or Arrow Crab (Stenorhynchus setrcornis).

Severe Infestation Solution

Although this problem is not likely to occur if the worms are removed when found, if your aquarium is overwhelmed by a severe bad type, or even a beneficial type bristleworms infestation, such as with those of the Eurythoe genus, you can quickly reduce the population by cleaning up the substrate and rocks. Here is what you can do.

Only remove small portions of the aquarium substrate at a time and either:
Spread it out on a plastic sheet, then sieve through the media by hand and pick the worms out using tweezers.

Place the substrate in a plastic container partially filled with saltwater, and stir it around. The worms should come up from the media each time this is done and be in the water portion of the container where they can be scooped out. A fine meshed fish net works well for this.

Remove the rocks one at a time and follow the rock cleaning procedure outlined under the "Preventative Measures" section above.


Tip: It is advised to always wear a pair of gloves of some kind when dealing with Fireworms to avoid coming into contact with their stinging bristles.

Tip: Whenever working with live substrate media and rocks in the open air, it is best to keep it moist, which can be done by using a spray bottle filled with saltwater to dampen it.

[geekdafied]

+3 on the typical hitchhiker bristleworm

[karlas]

i agree it sounds like bristle worms ive always had them and never had any problems with them they just clean up the extra food and stuff in the tank

Bristleworm

[reef_guru]

does it look like this

if so a neon dottyback and an arrow crab love em