Need suggestions about fascinating unique unknown nems!!

[dthorn]

Okay, I have spent much time for almost a year trying to identify and learn about these nems that came with my tank. I've posted in the hitchhiker thread, talked to leslie, studied chuck's addiction website, contacted wwm, searched google, started threads, etc, etc.

I have learned they are edwardsiidae nems of some type. And that many species of this family are unidentified. They are immune to aiptasia x, aren't fond of light, love to eat snails of any type, might also have killed some unknown small shelled clam like creatures and a lettuce nudi, don't seem to harm fish or hermits, and appear to have no interest in corals even when touching.

Here is where it gets interesting. Are they good or bad and what is my next step. The experts here have said a complete tear down is my only remedy. My curiosity won't allow that I have very little evidence to suggest they are bad guys in the first place.

They were present and seemed harmless until I bought some snails. They killed them all and ate them pretty quickly. Aside from that they have never harmed anything and mostly are all located in the dark behind the rocks in sand bed.

There is a large number of them so they may be beneficial to the system. As mentioned they were thriving before snails were added so it is likely they feed on bad stuff like waste, detritus, nitrates, or phosphates. The tank was severely neglected and used unfiltered city water for 8 years. They also create movement in the sand bed and are one of the most beautiful things in the tank.

The bad parts are more foggy aside from the snail issue. Unknown, uninvited, no known predators, hard to kill or remove because of number/location/speed, etc. Even the snail issue is no different. Many good creatures in our tanks are incompatible with certain creatures.

There are pics in my profile, but that isn't really what this thread is about. I am looking for thoughts and ideas about good or bad. What would you do? Any ideas of a person, company, school, etcetera that might be able or interested in helping me learn more? I spend every spare dollar I have on my tanks and just got laid off so I can't pay prices for live shipping but would love some suggestions.

These nems are very different than all the common known ones and quite fascinating to observe. When disturbed they retract into a pod and can be harvested from sand bed much easier than I originally thought. They are lighting fast though so can be tricky and no chance of getting them out of the rocks. Coloration is spectacular just impossible to photograph due to size and location. They are tan with bold white diamond markings with brown diamonds and vertical bars. A bright orange spot on one side of the mouth and long transparent purple tentacles speckled in bright white with a white tip. When feeding tentacles get shorter and turn blood red. The largest ones are a hair smaller than a pencil and over an inch tall above the sand. They also sometimes stay closed and look like a cucumber shaped ufo with pinstripes and a bright white star on rounded top center showing no tentacles or mouth.

Any thoughts, advice, or feedback are greatly appreciated. Pics are in profile along with other more detailed threads I've started about these creatures including more pics. Thanks and happy reefing!!

[Anemone]

I had what I believe are the same thing in one of my tanks. They seemed to thrive in the sand, and there were some in the rocks as well. I eventually removed the sandbed (it was failing) and at some time after that, I simply no longer had any of those anemones.

Kevin