Help! I have a killer in my tank

discus4everGrl

Superstar Fish
May 24, 2005
1,055
0
0
48
Chesapeake, Va
#1
Ok, like I posted once in another thread - I have something weird in my tank. I don't think it's one of those apistia (sp) anemones. I had one of those and my shrimp ate him. This thing is in a small hole (size of a pencil eraser) on my rock. When it is very dark it will come out and it looks like a long semi thick hollow worm. However, when it's in it's hole at the edge it looks like this worm is coming out of a sorta boney structure. I have no idea what this thing is. When it does come out of the hole it doesn't come all the way out - but it can extend this worm like structure quite some ways into the tank from the hole.

Anyways, I bought a clean up crew two days ago. The red leg hermits went straight to work being very busy. Last night when I went to bed, one of the hermits was dead, out of his shell, half eaten and attached to the rock - guess where - right next to that hole this thing is living in. All the rest of the clean up crew is fine as well as my shrimp and snails. Water parameters are all at zero. What kind of creature is this? I have a feeling it can sting whatever it is in order to get larger food.
 

discus4everGrl

Superstar Fish
May 24, 2005
1,055
0
0
48
Chesapeake, Va
#3
half his body was totally missing and what was there was attached to the rock at that hole with this weird thing. I want to know what the heck it is. Besides, if he had molted, or whatever he should have just got another shell that was in the tank and got in it. Plus he had been alive and busy cleaning only two hours before.
 

OCCFan023

Superstar Fish
Jul 29, 2004
1,817
5
0
35
New Jersey
#4
Well when the crabs molt, they dont always change shells. I think that he may have molted, but I know where your comming from because I always thought mine were dieing when I saw it.

If he really was killed, I would think it was another hermit that wanted his shell if anything, I dont know of too much wanting to kill a hermit