What is this?

[Passinetti2007]

Ok I'm just having all the luck tonight with my tank. First I notice my coral are getting killed by god knows what, and then after the lights go out I notice what appears to be a small black eel in my tank.

This guy doesn't have a head like an eel with the mouth and eyes but swims like a snake. Might be a worm. I have no idea what it is. I've never seen it before.

It swims very very fast, and also slithers on the sand and rock. It was going inbetween my polyps and it is creepy.

I'm wondering what "it" is and whether it is a pest and should be removed?

here "it" is:

 

[jake65]

dude! I dont know what that is but catch that thing I want to see a close up!

 

[Passinetti2007]

it went back into the rock, I don't know when it will come out again. I've had my tank up for a month and a half and i've never seen it once and I've spent many nights staring into my tank after dark so I'm very surprised to see this thing and a little creeped out.

 

[Krish]

That does look like an eel!!! Hope you can catch him to get a closeup for a positive ID

 

[Fishead77]

That does look like an eel!!! Hope you can catch him to get a closeup for a positive ID

Goodluck on catching it! It's amazing the creatures that can be imported in live rock. What to do, what to do?

 

[Passinetti2007]

I hope I can catch it. I hate snakes so it kinda creeps me out how fast it is and that it slithers through the water.

 

[Passinetti2007]

Doesn't matter now I found it ripped to shreds on the sand bed my hermits must of got to it. Weird! I need to clean my sand now.

 

[aquarookie]

Well, for your sake I am glad it is dead... for our sake I am not! I really wanted to see it close-up... Did you check out to see what it was (or its remnants, anyway)?

 

[Passinetti2007]

the only thing I saw was what I think is its tail. It was sticking out of the sand about a centimeter and I thought it had burrowed into the sand bed. I went down with my net to capture it and it was just a centemeter of a tail thats all. In the back of the tank was black and grey shreds of what I guess is whats left of him. What I saw looked like it had lines around it like a worm and on both sides was fins that went from the tip of the tail all the way up I'm guessing but it was severed so who knows.

Now my question is what is the best way to clean up the mess. I got a siphon hose vacuum thingy but I hate using it cause I don't want to suck in dead eel debris.

 

[Jaybo]

Now my question is what is the best way to clean up the mess. I got a siphon hose vacuum thingy but I hate using it cause I don't want to suck in dead eel debris.

Thats prolly a good thing too! If you dont know what it is... you probably dont want that kind of 'protien' in your system.. Puffer fish protien will kill ya!!!!! It could be some new undiscovered poisonous eel!

 

[Fishead77]

Thats prolly a good thing too! If you dont know what it is... you probably dont want that kind of 'protien' in your system.. Puffer fish protien will kill ya!!!!! It could be some new undiscovered poisonous eel!

LOL!! And still undiscovered Nice looking brain coral. Did you figure out what was wrong with it?

 

[aquarookie]

Now my question is what is the best way to clean up the mess. I got a siphon hose vacuum thingy but I hate using it cause I don't want to suck in dead eel debris.

Wait, can't you siphon it into a bucket and replace with clean water?

 

[Passinetti2007]

the brains dead now. Kevin thinks it was some bacteria infection that spread very rapid causing the tissue to die off and it left behind just the skeleton of the coral. I removed it from the tank.

I could siphon it into something and I probably will just not tonight. I need to make a fresh batch of water, since I used what I had when I did the 80% water change yesterday.

 

[Passinetti2007]

my tank was just too small for the brain coral which was a nice sized coral. I put too much in my tank and I've learned from it. I'm only gonna put some new polyps and some mushrooms in there. I'll probably get another xenia since the one I have doesn't look like it will ever be the same again.

 

[vwmoneypit]

did u say xenia hmmm I have some to sell or trade mushrooms will be ready next month water melons