Fire of Bristle Worm?

[joshwalden2000]

Hi, i was cleaning out my tank the other day, trying to find the source of a loud clicking noise i've been getting! I was hoping to find a big pistol shrimp sitting in one of my rocks because apparantly they can make the clicking noise i've been hearing!
After searching all my rock (even splitting some of it) i didn't find any large shrimps.... lots of very small ones though! but nothing that i thought could make the sounds i've heard! I did however find a worm about 7 inches long (pictures attached) i'm not quite sure if its a bristle worm or maybe a fire worm? and could this thing have been the source of the clicking?

Any ideas?

Thanks

[90_berlin_joe]

Josh, what else do you have in your system? (i.e. Fish, cleaning crew) the reason i ask is I have a Seabae clown that makes the same noise you described above.

From the looks of the pic that is not a fireworm, but can not be sure it is a bristle. Here is a pic of a fireworm

[joshwalden2000]

Hi, thanks for your reply! I do have 2 Black & White Percula Clownfish in my tank, along with 1 Mandarin! I also have 2 hermit crabs! How do the clowns make the clicking noise? This is a very loud clicking noise... can be heard clearly from the other side of the room which is about 10 foot away?

Thanks

[90_berlin_joe]

I know with my Seabea clown he is pretty big, with big teeth. I believe they just clap there jaw shut which make the noise. The only time my clown does this if he is by the front of the tank and someone walks by the tank. First time i heard it i was messing with the sump below and raised up to look into the tank and he just started clicking at me then swam to his carpet to hide.

[Geoff]

i am betting you have a mantis shrimp in there. are the clicks every now and then or rythmical? if rythmical it is prolly a pistol shrimp.

that worm looks like Euclid (spp.?)worm. do you have any shrooms or soft corals in the tank? this is what these worms tend to eat.

G~

[joshwalden2000]

The clicks are always very random... we sometimes wont hear any for days then when we're sat watching tv one night.. "CLICK, CLICK, CLICK" it always seem to be very fast, and always a few clicks at a time.... from the sounds of the clicks, if it is a shrimp or something it would have to be quite large!.... I do have a large soft coral in my tank aswell!

Thanks

[Fly Guy]

That is a euclid worm. Glad you got him out. They can be pretty destructive. Ive had two of them that were huge. (at least huge by MY defintion, steve might have a different defintion of HUGE) That is not the source of your clicking though.

[jdbassin]

i had a eunicid that was over a foot and a half long. I had mushrooms and some green chromises disappear that I couldn't figure out why, Since the worm is gone there has been no mysterious losses. HMMMMM


jd

[ChrisPrusha]

Welcome aboard, Josh!! w000000000000000t!!!

[joshwalden2000]

Thanks for the welcome i did ditch the worm when i pulled him out.... although he really did not want to come out! the little bugger! Since i've taken him out my soft coral is looking a hell of a lot healthier! I haven't heard any clicking since i did a mega clean of the tank either, might have got rid of whatever was causing it without knowing it! or the clown fish dont need to click at any moby sized worms any more!

Thanks

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by greenbean36191

I think you mean Eunicid. Most are actually scavengers, but some do eat corals. Of course there is no way to tell them apart, so you might want to just ditch him while you've got him.

thanks for the correction. was in a rush and forgot to double check it when i got home.

G~

[JY13131]

Sometimes my hermit crabs click their claws against the tank. Could that be the sound?

[razza93]

i only have a percula clown and a live rock and wen i goto bed and turn the lights of i hear a strange clicking noise to. im not sure wat it is at first i thought it was just the light/filter or heater i have no idea what it is though.