Tank Journal Archive

[ezza]

I've been dealing with a lot of life lately and just haven't sat down to my computer in months. Posting on my iPhone can be tedious and eye-challenging.

I spent 5 hours today doing things I shouldn't have had to do to remove the world's biggest Fireworm, 2 Eunice worms and God knows what else from one of my large pieces of Texas Holey Rock. It is one of the scariest looking animals I have ever seen.

I set a trap a few days ago, but the damn thing was smart with a capital P,H and D! It just explored the trap and buggered off when I got over eager.


The Fireworm is in the large middle hole here. You can see part of the body. I had to lift the rock out of the tank and pull the worm out by using tweezers to hold the body and pull. It broke in half. It meant destroying the way I had sculpted the corals and rock, I'll fix it later. It was well over my lifting range and it was painful and awkward but I had no help so I had to cope.


The Fireworm while in the tank was able to stretch out over 30cm and was about the thickness of my finger and a couple of centimetres wide.


Next to a 30cm rule, it shriveled up as time went on.

Eunice. One of 2 found. This was broken in 3 parts accidentally as I was cleaning the rock and pulled it out and into pieces.

Worms preserved in some old gin the neighbours gave me (I wasn't using my top shelf Tanqueray and j am out of vodka!

My hands have been sore because these fireworms left so many bristles around that anything I did in the tank irritated. My middle finger in particular swelled to an abnormal size. I took antihistamines, prednisone (steroid anti-inflammatory) and pain killers and it's slowly calming down.

I cut my finger open in the rock.


I am so tired!

 

[RobbieMVFC]

well done on the removal of those ugly things , You are unlucky that one got a parting shot .

 

[Lesley]

So whats your secret please.
We have been trying to catch a Eunice worm for months now, he never comes out enough for us to get him. I agree, they almost seem smart.
Did you have to remove rock ?

 

[Agent M]

5 hours?? Freshwater dip next time chicky - remove the rock and place it in a bucket of freshwater until they all crawl out on their own. Then remove the rock and put it back in your aquarium.

 

[Ziggy]

Well done on doing such a great clean up job! Hoping your fingers recover quickly. Ouch!

 

[ezza]

The stings are actually just from regular tank stuff like grabbing the veggie clip etc. I knew I had a problem with increasing numbers of bristle worms- but I think it was this Fireworm having babies. I had reduced feeding but they kept increasing and I just kept getting stung by loose invisible bristles -everywhere-. You can't see them at all.

It took 5 hours because the whole thing was done on my own. My husband is away for work. The rock was exceptionally heavy so I had to set up a ladder that would get me high enough to lift the rock so I could get it out without hurting my back. I could lift it due to the water reducing the weight of the rock, but the top of the tank is almost 6 feet up. I'm 5 foot 4 and haven't lifted anything more than maybe 10kg higher than my hips for over a year, maybe 2 years. I had to find a plank, I had a piece of old melamine cupboard that I rested on top of the tank to give me something to lean on to spread the weight of the rock through more of my body and to get better leverage and give me some safety. I placed next to me a side table with container to unload the rock into. I then plaited some strong cord into a rope so I could have some additional support and to stop having to hold the rock which is covered in invisible Fireworm hairs and tiny calcareous spikey bits. That's what cut my left middle finger. One of my medications has made my skin quite sensitive and more weak so I can get worse scratches and grazes than usual.

So it took me several tries to get the rock up. I had to pull the platform and corals off so the thing would fit out the top hole which is very tight due to the size of the rock. When I bought it it was about 13kg dry. I don't know what that would be saturated with water. I lifted the rock up but once it's over waist level it was bringing my back into play and I was struggling to lift higher as I have very weak core muscles now. The successful lift occurred by me leaning on the timber, getting a small bit of rock resting slightly and adjusting my grip. I then got it up to the platform before swinging it around to the bucket I had waiting. I then grabbed my 100L water change container which is the black thing. I first grabbed the big worm around the small visible section and started to pull. He tried to hide deeper but I don't think the space was really that big. I accidentally ripped him in half and as I pulled on what I had gripped, evidently the other part also fell out of the hole landing in the bucket. I watched the rock for a minute and started to pick off some of the tiny worms. I realised that there were several. I poured some supermarket grade peroxide (3%) into the larger holes and as more and more small fireworms came out, I discovered that there were so many more than I first knew. I found the Eunice worms @Lesley by seeing holes filled with grains of sand, I was poking them clearing the sand out and then saw black worms inside. I just grabbed the body and didn't let go. It broke into pieces but I got it out. I poured some RO and all the peroxide over the entire rock (do not pour peroxide directly on SPS, LPS are fine generally with it). Worms were dropping out everywhere. I spent a while (I don't know how long) picking off worms and ensuring the biggest holes were empty. I found one Eunice simply sitting on the bucket floor under the rock.

After the de-worming, I isolated the larger specimens and performed a water change of 100L. I had to clean as I went as I was using a lot of equipment and making a large mess. On my own, a water change takes around an hour and involves a lot of lifting I'm not meant to do.

I then had to return the rock to the tank without smashing the bottom (I couldn't control the drop when lowering the rock as this uses muscles I don't have).

After that, it was general returning the tank to as best condition and safest rock positioning as I could, making sure I didn't kill the fish and getting corals back into safe places until I can restock everything down. Frustratingly I only recently stuck them all on with putty and of course, coral putty is expensive and I have terrible luck getting fresh putty so often find a reasonable amount is wasted when I buy it.

Then I had to wash out containers full of fireworms ensuring the safety of myself, my daughter and dog. I had to do some mopping and washing towels, skimmer and filter socks too. So yes, 5 hours of exhausting work to rid the tank of these pests. I know there are more in the other rocks but I am not going to go through this process again in a hurry. I seriously considered leaving he rock out but I haven't got anything to replace it with. I would love to do a scape with a plinth supporting a "floating" raft of coral - but now isn't the time.

 

[ReeferRob]

The next time you come into contact with the bristles use plain ammonia on the affected areas. Right after I get rock in and finish putting it away I ammonia my hands.

 

[ezza]

The next time you come into contact with the bristles use plain ammonia on the affected areas. Right after I get rock in and finish putting it away I ammonia my hands.

Sooooo... I just pee on my hands?

 

[Buddy]

Sooooo... I just pee on my hands?

I knew someone would say it :D

 

[ReeferRob]

Sooooo... I just pee on my hands?

Did I say pee on your hands? No, household ammonia. :D Because if you make a whoopsy and touch your girly parts with those spines in your hand, you WILL NOT be a happy camper!!

 

[Agent M]

Wont ammonia possibly burn her skin?

 

[ReeferRob]

Wont ammonia possibly burn her skin?

Not if you wash it off after 5 minutes, you don't want to leave it on there and go to bed or fall asleep.