Mysterious predator, pretty worried.

Discussion in 'ID This!' started by honu hunter, Apr 23, 2013.

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  1. honu hunter

    honu hunter Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2013
    Messages:
    38
    Background:
    My tank has been running for about 4 months with nothing but live rock and 3 dalmation Molly's. I've seen several bristle worms (the pinkish harmless ones, my lfs says they're harmless).

    3 days ago I added a CUC of 70 hermit crabs and 60 asst'd snails, as well as two 4" zoanthus frags on rock, and a cleaner shrimp (Peekay, he's awesome).

    This is where it gets scary...brace yourself!

    Lastnight I was kneeling in front of the tank watching the crabs and snails with all the tank lights were off except the moon lights, all of a sudden something UNDER THE SAND grabbed a hermit and his shell and drug it about 3" to behind a small rock, then changed direction and took it another 3" where it went under a big piece of liverock. The shell stopped there when it got jammed up.

    THIS THING MOVED FAST AS LIGHTNING!! I never saw it at all.

    I used my chopstick to pull the shell away from the live rock and thouht that I might have snagged a piece of the "worm", but all that was there was a slimy ball of sand. The intruder seemed to have left a bunch of slime where it came out from under the LR.

    Any ideas? My LFS came up empty, he's been doing this a lot of years so that alone has my worried.

    I can't imagine that any of the bristle worms I've seen (maybe 3" long) would have the strength or speed to pull the crab and shell through the gravel, it left a trench where it drug the shell. Did I mention FAST?!

    Help please. Before the nightmares start again.
     
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  3. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    Florida
  4. honu hunter

    honu hunter Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2013
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  5. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !
    Yup that is what I thought of too, good times.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    My next thought is narcissus snail type.
     
  6. barbianj

    barbianj Hammer Head Shark

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  7. ingtar_shinowa

    ingtar_shinowa Giant Squid

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    plus one
     
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  9. doylef4i

    doylef4i Bubble Tip Anemone

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2010
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    Location:
    Florida
    polyclad flat worm maybe?
     
  10. Magnus

    Magnus Sharknado

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    Knoxville, TN
    Found any empty shells piled up on a specific spot lately?
     
  11. Greg@LionfishLair

    Greg@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2011
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    Location:
    Coastal So. CA
    Possibly a Eunicid worm (bobbit worm). Might also be a mantis shrimp...do you hear any multiple clicking at night?
     
  12. reefnJeff

    reefnJeff Pajama Cardinal

    Joined:
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    1,412
    Location:
    Saint Cloud, MN
    Mantis Shrimp is my guess!! Their killers.