It came from The Deep

[VaBusa]

He may not look like much, but this little guy has been hiding in my aquarium for years...I see him about once every 3 or 4 months...he scares me...

When he stretches out, he's the full length of my tank (48 inches!) He reminds me that sometimes I don't like putting my hands in the water...freaky little guy...he's a fire worm and will light you up if you touch him...

The tank lights weren't on when he caught my attention this morning, but I snapped a couple of quick pics anyway...

[VaBusa]

[VaBusa]

And I never see my mushroom corals "closed" up, so I rarely see the base of 'em...just like this pic...

[Bigbody]

thats a cool aquarium you got there VA

[VaBusa]

Looks like crap without the lights on, but that worm never comes out when they're on anyway...

Thanks though...I need to take some recent pics for your viewing pleasure/boredom...

[tinmann840]

What he just showed up one day ? Is that live coral ? maybe he hatched from an egg in the coral .

[VaBusa]

I'm pretty sure THEY came from some pieces of coral I bought years back...the guy I buy from looks for them (they're not good to have), but they can be so small and easily missed by the naked eye...

For a while, I had baby fire worms everywhere, but I think some of my fish took care of 'em...I would guess that I have maybe 2 of these big suckers, but I rarely see 'em...they just hide in the live rock and plot against my family

[PaceMaster]

Plot against my family ---- That's funny--- Pretty cool-- is it true that staring at fish has a calming effect ? I need that--

[VaBusa]

Yep, Pace...get thyself an aquarium...when it's not leaking, in need of cleaning or maintenance, contains dead biohazard material or has some faulty electrical equipment, it's very soothing...ahhhh... LOL

Actually, I've had aquariums since I was 11 years old...this reef tank is the easiest one I've ever had, though it is way more expensive than buying some goldfish...it's very calming and my kids love it...I can't give it up...

[Warputer]

He looks cool but why is he not good to have ?

[monster]

he's a freaky little guy...

[PaceMaster]

Thnx Va--

[VaBusa]

(Warputer @ Sep. 14 2006,11:05) He looks cool but why is he not good to have ?

1 - he stings if you touch him

And I understand it's very painful...I don't personally know and don't care to find out...

2 - and more importantly, he can cause damage to certain types of corals...I had a small piece of pagoda coral with some brain coral underneath it...it started dying off and over time I noticed I had a houseguest in that particular piece of rock. Yep, one of these worms...he destroyed those two corals and I caught him, tossed him outside in the middle of winter...

They're very difficult to catch, plus, who wants to try?!

[jwcfbd]

one of these days I will have a tank like that. Maybe without the house guest though.

[BiG-T]

48 inch tank....how many gallons of water does that hold?

[VaBusa]

(jwcfbd @ Sep. 14 2006,11:13) one of these days I will have a tank like that.  Maybe without the house guest though.  

...completey unavoidable if you have live rock or coral...you wouldn't believe the "house guests" I've had! LOL

Quick story - had a dozen or so turbo snails (they keep the place clean of algae)...they start disappearing and all I find are their huge empty shells...

Months pass, I finally opt to spend the $60 to buy a bunch more, I get home, toss 'em in the tank and out of the rocks comes this crab I'd seen many times and thought was cool/harmless...SHE two fists my snails, one in each claw and carries 'em to a small cave in the tank...she was eating them all and I guess after they were gone, she got real hungry...watching her practically run out to grab the snails was funny and frustrating all at once...I'm thinking "that's $$$ you're eating there" and she's thinking "buffet's open!"

I tore my tank up trying to get her out...we had to take all of the live rock out to find her...

[VaBusa]

(BiG-T @ Sep. 14 2006,11:16) 48 inch tank....how many gallons of water does that hold?  

It's a 120 gallon aquarium...

[BiG-T]

So did I miss the pics of the fish or you neglected to include those? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

[monster]

(VaBusa @ Sep. 14 2006,11:21)

(jwcfbd @ Sep. 14 2006,11:13) one of these days I will have a tank like that.  Maybe without the house guest though.  

...completey unavoidable if you have live rock or coral...you wouldn't believe the "house guests" I've had!  LOL

Quick story - had a dozen or so turbo snails (they keep the place clean of algae)...they start disappearing and all I find are their huge empty shells...

Months pass, I finally opt to spend the $60 to buy a bunch more, I get home, toss 'em in the tank and out of the rocks comes this crab I'd seen many times and thought was cool/harmless...SHE two fists my snails, one in each claw and carries 'em to a small cave in the tank...she was eating them all and I guess after they were gone, she got real hungry...watching her practically run out to grab the snails was funny and frustrating all at once...I'm thinking "that's $$$ you're eating there" and she's thinking "buffet's open!"

I tore my tank up trying to get her out...we had to take all of the live rock out to find her...  

shoulda dropped a smashed muscle on a string. she would have run out grabbed it and you could have pulled her out. That's how we used to go crabbing when I was a kid

[VaBusa]

So simple, yet probably would have worked! LOL Oh sure, now you tell me!