Reeeeally LONG WORM in a 20 gallon tank

[GoFish]

ID please... if someone knows
The worm in the image appears to be 2.5 inches long, and has only come out about 3" total until tonight... I fed my 4 fish something different tonight (bits of squid, shrimp and scallops) which really seemed to turn this bugger on. It normally just pokes its head out once in a while (i've seen it 6 times in 4 months but tonight it made its way down to the sandy bottom and crawled along the glass... ITS 14 INCHES LONG!!! And only 1/8" wide max

I doesn't have any bristles, only L-shaped yellow legs and it body is red/orange with yellowish bands, I dont see any eyes or mouth, it just appears to taper (though I'm not saying it doesn't)

Should i keep or kill? Thanks in advance for anyones time!



My apologies in advance for not posting this in the inverteb column. I'm new and couldn't figure out how

[mrhasan]

Whatever it is (bristle or something); I would say its too big for a 20. Better pull it out.

[mohammadali]

use it for fishing lol
i took 3 about 5" from my 20g tonight

[Nasoblond]

I would get it out asap...I had a couple in my tank and they got to be over a foot long and only found them when I took the tank apart.........they only get bigger and could become an isssue later on.

[lockrookie]

It's just a bristle worm nothing to worry about they scavenge the tank remove if you like I'm sure there are more in there

[GoFish]

If it was a bristle worm wouldn't it have bristles? I know it's not the best photo, but it has distinct rounded L shaped legs that move like a millipede. I have a bristle worm in the tank and they look like totally different species

I'm sure trout would love it! But the trout aren't feeding right now in my area, and I don't really wanna put it on a hook until I know if it's safe to touch

[lockrookie]

My apologies it's not a Bristol worm but a fire worm. recently there was an I'd on my local forum and bayside corals id'd it as a fire worm. They are similar but a fire worm packs a bigger punch when it stings you. Still a good addition as a clean up crew

[Corbin]

Originally Posted by lockrookie

My apologies it's not a Bristol worm but a fire worm. recently there was an I'd on my local forum and bayside corals id'd it as a fire worm. They are similar but a fire worm packs a bigger punch when it stings you. Still a good addition as a clean up crew

^

[GoFish]

Nope.....no hairs, bristles, fibers, or WHY. Does anyone actually know?

[ScubaSteve]

It is of the bristle/firework family. I know it doesn't have the bristles, but not all of them do. Could potentially be from the eunicid family based on the setmntation and "legs" but I can't really tell from the pic.