Please help me ID these critters? Keep or eliminate them?

[bankonit]

Hi all,

I was feeding my Duncan and a critter appeared from under a rock. Initially I thought it was a tentacle or the arm of a starfish. After researching, it appears to be a bristle worm. I gather it hitchhiked on my live rock when I set up my tank.


In the second set of pics, it appears to be one or two aiptasias (in one grainy pic, I'm unsure. Could be a zoa polyp impersonating an aiptasia! I read the 'You think you have aiptasia?' thread

My questions - will someone ID these critters? If it is a bristle worm, should I leave it in the aquarium? I have a new tank (just over a month old). In it I have three frags with zoa polyps, a Duncan, a green mushroom frag, and a candy cane frag. Additoinally, I have two Ocellaris and a few members in my CUC (snails and two emerald crabs, successfully combatting a hair algae outbreak).

Should I eliminate the aiptasia? Seems from the responses to the above-mentioned thread, I should eliminate it.

Thanks, all. I look forward to reading your opinions.

 

[jjmoneyman]

Keep the bristle worm, he's a member of the CUC, you'll wanna get rid of the aptasia though, they are bad guys.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

+1 ^

[video=youtube;oo3DZYdAD2Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo3DZYdAD2Y[/video]

 

[bankonit]

+1 ^

[video=youtube;oo3DZYdAD2Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo3DZYdAD2Y[/video]

Thank you,nano. The video was spot on. Tomorrow, I'll go to my LFS and purchase the product.

 

[bankonit]

Keep the bristle worm, he's a member of the CUC, you'll wanna get rid of the aptasia though, they are bad guys.

Thanks, money! As a novice, I'm still learning a great deal and I am very thankful that people (like you) take the time to respond and guide.

 

[vsindorf]

just wear gloves if you mess with rocks/sand now that you know you have bristeworms. They sting like mad and you can never find those little bristles...

 

[bankonit]

just wear gloves if you mess with rocks/sand now that you know you have bristeworms. They sting like mad and you can never find those little bristles...

Thanks vsindorf. I saw a few images of the stings. Yikes. Oh well, another purchase!

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

You are very welcome ! I have had a few & it has worked well for me

 

[bankonit]

+1 ^

[video=youtube;oo3DZYdAD2Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo3DZYdAD2Y[/video]

Nano - update . . .

I used the Aiptasia X and eliminated two of the critters. When I was feeding the corals, another reared its head in one of my zoa frags that has experienced its share of issues. That aiptasia met its maker as well. Appreciated all of your help.