Where to get Bobbit worms?

[Shuhui]

Hi,

I have read quite some threads about reefers having bobbit worms (Eunice aphroditois) in their tanks attacking livestocks and having trouble getting these worms out of their live rocks. It seems like this worm can be quite common when they hitch-hike in live rocks, but does anyone know where can I get the worms? Is it sold anywhere here?

Also if anyone has caught a bobbit worm, whether dead or alive, could you PM me?

I'm working in a research group where we study marine crustaceans and cephalopods, and I'm interested in doing some research on this worm. Not much information have been available for these worms as compared to many other marine species, so it would be great if we could get some to work on to reveal more insights about them.

I'm very hopeful to receive informative and helpful feedback! I am a new tank owner myself and will be glad to learn more and make new reefer friends!

Cheers,

Eva

[Sengreef]

I have a lot bobbit worm in my tank last time that attack my sps but they only come out during night time and they move/hide very fast if u suddenly turn on the lighting ... I have put a toby and it really consume most of them in about 2~3weeks time but i not really understand how the toby consume them becos they only come out at night ... toby is not reefsafe they nip on sps tip ...

[finbir]

Hi fren,

It depends on the size of the worm or worms u need to study. For miniatures, just go 2 the East Coast when the tide is at 0.1m and scoop a bagful of mud behind the breakwater wall beside the canal near Fort Rd. U can also wait patiently for the centipede sized version to appear among the rocks that form a ledge (seen only at low tides) there. Do wear shoes or u can end up with badly cut soles.

If the rocks in ur tank r seeded with the mud, u should eventually be the proud owner of some juv. bobbits in the weeks 2 come.

BTW the ones I spotted at the East Coast r the thickness of an adult's pinky thus making me think they r centipedes. It's just that a centipede can't live in saltwater

area! So a trawl of the Net revealed what I'd seen.

Happy researching,

Finbir.

[Shuhui]

I have a lot bobbit worm in my tank last time that attack my sps but they only come out during night time and they move/hide very fast if u suddenly turn on the lighting ... I have put a toby and it really consume most of them in about 2~3weeks time but i not really understand how the toby consume them becos they only come out at night ... toby is not reefsafe they nip on sps tip ...

@Sengreef, does that mean your bobbit worm problem is well taken care off now but your sps is still suffering?

It depends on the size of the worm or worms u need to study. For miniatures, just go 2 the East Coast when the tide is at 0.1m and scoop a bagful of mud behind the breakwater wall beside the canal near Fort Rd. U can also wait patiently for the centipede sized version to appear among the rocks that form a ledge (seen only at low tides) there. Do wear shoes or u can end up with badly cut soles.

BTW the ones I spotted at the East Coast r the thickness of an adult's pinky thus making me think they r centipedes. It's just that a centipede can't live in saltwater

area! So a trawl of the Net revealed what I'd seen.

@Finbir, are easy to spot? I will need as large a worm as I can get, it will be good to get the ones you netted! Do you remember if they are the ones that have iridescent along their bodies? Thank you so much for the info

[finbir]

Actually a few of them around 16cm long managed to live peacefully in my 4' tank until red slime developed. The rocks were taken out and sprayed in the toilet. Those guys wriggled out and died almost instantly. I must say they certainly looked pretty with that rainbow-like shimmer, much darker unlike the ones pulled out from the sand along the seashore for fishing. Those r the bristleworms.

The few I spied at the East Coast, initially mistaken for centipedes, I think one needs to be nimble with the fingers s they r between the cracks among the various species of corals growing there on the granite bund. But there's no mistaking them once u observe them up close n saying they r like centipedes except for their cylindrical bodies, aptly describe this type of marine annelids.

[Sengreef]

@Sengreef, does that mean your bobbit worm problem is well taken care off now but your sps is still suffering?

After the toby cunsume all bobbit worm , all sps have recovered but toby do nip on sps tip too but toby can easily remove from the tank ... those bobbit worm in my tank are small size and they move very fast ...

[Kelvin81]

I jidt caught mine. After few tried on different method I concluded as use hyper salinity method best. 1.040 salinity can force it out within 20 min. (3rd and last bobbit in my tank). I used 1.030 before need about 20 hrs before it surrender. Used freshwater soak for 24hrs.. it survived.

[Evolutionz]

Thats one scary looking worm!!

[DottyClown]

I jidt caught mine. After few tried on different method I concluded as use hyper salinity method best. 1.040 salinity can force it out within 20 min. (3rd and last bobbit in my tank). I used 1.030 before need about 20 hrs before it surrender. Used freshwater soak for 24hrs.. it survived.

Hi, will Hyper Salinity kill the bacteria colony in the LR?

I believe I have at least 2 bobbits in my tank, and though no fishes have been lost yet, thought it would be safer to remove them.

[Tian85]

That is one hell of a monster!

[Kelvin81]

Yes. As I know it will kill tje bacteria.. I loss 2 yellow wrasse 1 fairy wrasse 1 hogfish 1 jester 1 goby 1 mandarin.. so I guess I had enough! So I decide to hunt it down. Bacteria can just dose back but loss fishes damn boring and demoralising.

[DottyClown]

Yes. As I know it will kill tje bacteria.. I loss 2 yellow wrasse 1 fairy wrasse 1 hogfish 1 jester 1 goby 1 mandarin.. so I guess I had enough! So I decide to hunt it down. Bacteria can just dose back but loss fishes damn boring and demoralising.

Wow! What a killer!

[Kelvin81]

Its really big and fat.. I forgot.. even my sandstar also inside its belly.. of course not at 1 go I loss so many fishes.. over a peruod of 4 mths.. I suggest you start to identify where the worms hide and catch it before too late..