Mattb1612 October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 So I was watching movie on the couch and I went to grab a beer passed the tank and to my surprise I spot bristle worm. I have never seen one before but it has to be. It was 4 inches long and have spikes on its side slightly reddish. So the question is how do I remove it? Should I remove it? Will it hurt anything(corals, fish shrimp)? The rock is 2 years old the previous owner bought it off of BRS. So it could have come in on that or could it have come in on coral? Anyways thanks for any help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-Solo October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 Iv never had to deal with them myself. Iv heard a lot of mixed opinions on bristle worms. They actually do a pretty good job as part of the cleaner crew. Most people Iv heard from have never had one disturb there corals. A lot of people remove the big ones because they thought they looked gross. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmerek2 October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 Good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshifer October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 Their good but I hate them. Their ugly and they sting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 Good unless in plague proportions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 If they're in plague proportions, thats a good indicator that you have large amounts of nutrient build up or un eaten food. I've seen a bristleworm spawning event that turned a 90 gallon tank milky white. There were millions of them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattb1612 October 1, 2016 Author Share October 1, 2016 Oh boy. Well I know I over feed a little I'm trying to get better at it but my tang and potter hide in the rock work then sneak up when the see food floating and nibble then go back to the rocks they are the hardest to feed. Maybe I'll get a coral banded shrimp are they good cuc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReefAddict October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 They're good, a valuable part of the clean up crew. That being said, I don't like seeing them in my DT. I try to keep them in the sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 I think they're awesome! The biodiversity of a reef tank is one of the things I enjoy most. I've had some decent sized ones but I've never seen one do harm in 20+ years. I'm sure there are instances of it happening but I have never witnessed such event. This one was going to town on a clam that was dying (sickly at time of purchase) in my tank (about five years ago I imagine). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshifer October 1, 2016 Share October 1, 2016 Oh god I have a giant one like that. I try to trap it in bottles every night. I just catch hermits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 2, 2016 Share October 2, 2016 There are a couple of ways to make an effective bristleworm trap. Some use a capped- PVC pipe with holes drilled along the side and weight and bait inside. Just google it. This guy's trap is slightly different, but the basic approach is the same. If the holes are small, the hermits can't get in. Here's another link from Reefbuilders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl October 2, 2016 Share October 2, 2016 (edited) There are a couple of ways to make an effective bristleworm trap. Some use a capped- PVC pipe with holes drilled along the side and weight and bait inside. Just google it. This guy's trap is slightly different, but the basic approach is the same. If the holes are small, the hermits can't get in. Here's another link from Reefbuilders. Brilliant! Edited October 2, 2016 by madweazl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshifer October 2, 2016 Share October 2, 2016 The chains in his tank are confusing me. Maybe he's into S&M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squishie89 October 2, 2016 Share October 2, 2016 The chains in his tank are confusing me. Maybe he's into S&M.It is a seahorse tank. Plastic chains are a cheap and very easy way to provide tons of hitches for the seahorses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshifer October 2, 2016 Share October 2, 2016 It is a seahorse tank. Plastic chains are a cheap and very easy way to provide tons of hitches for the seahorses. Ooh. I never had seahorses so I don't know lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Customride0105 October 2, 2016 Share October 2, 2016 I like them they don't seem to harm anything that I've noticed. I find them in the overflow box where they eat and get large.some say the bristles get stuck in your hand like little needles. Get some rough hands and won't hurt one bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite October 3, 2016 Share October 3, 2016 (edited) I wish I could have recorded this from the beginning. It's kind of cool watching these shrooms catching things. Edited October 3, 2016 by treesprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite October 3, 2016 Share October 3, 2016 Whatever you do, don't touch them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshifer October 4, 2016 Share October 4, 2016 (edited) Whatever you do, don't touch them That's why I wear gloves when I have to touch the rocks. I try to avoid disturbing the rocks. Edited October 4, 2016 by Joshifer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl October 4, 2016 Share October 4, 2016 Bet PaulB has some ginormous ones in his tank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite October 5, 2016 Share October 5, 2016 Bet PaulB has some ginormous ones in his tank! If he sees that, it's going to prompt him to make a really funny bristleworm story post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl October 5, 2016 Share October 5, 2016 I'm hoping so Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b October 12, 2016 Share October 12, 2016 (edited) I don't have any bristleworm stories because those things scare me to death. I can't keep crabs, except hermits after they shed because the worms eat them. It's the same with clams, they eat them. Last night I heard a noise and I came downstairs to where my tank is and they were all lined up at the top of the tank with their elbows over the rim. I hate those things. The small ones are great scavengers but the big ones make to much noise with their antlers. Edited October 12, 2016 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite October 12, 2016 Share October 12, 2016 (edited) And there he is! Paul, if you don't already have a book of your anecdotes, you need to write one. Edited October 12, 2016 by treesprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k October 12, 2016 Share October 12, 2016 Vinegar works great at dissolving the spines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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