Jump to content

?Bristle Worm?


newfish

Recommended Posts

I just bought some LR and I noticed something. After some research it looks like I have a Bristle Worm.

After reading about them They are bad for corals and such.

Is this true and if so how do I get rid of it. Can I just pick it off and hope none return can they bite or sting or anything.

Thanks

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't think they were really harmful to corals. They hurt like H-E-double hocky sticks when you accidently touch one though. I can tell you from experience. I got a melarnarus and leopard wrasse and they have knocked down my population quite a bit. You'll never get rid of them though, since the babies can hide in the smallest of cracks. They are scavengers, so I guess they are good in that aspect. I still hate them though. I've got one that has to be 12" long. Creeps me out big time. If I ever catch it, you'll know about it. I'll post some pics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I freaked out the first time I saw bristle worms in my tank one night. I battled them for weeks until I finally read somewhere that they are not really bad unless their numbers get out of control. If you want to see them you need to look in your tank a couple of hours after lights out. They are scared of light, so you need to use a flashlight covered with a red or blue piece of plastic or even tissue paper. Trying to grab a bristle worm off a rock with a pair of tongs can be difficult, they can duck back into the smallest holes very quickly, but if you get them crawling along the sand or on the glass they're easy pickings. They also sell a bristleworm trap but don't know how well those work. I made a trap out of a small tupperware container, just cut an X in the lid and push it inward a little. The key is to have the slice just wide enough so the worm can get in but when he tries to come back out the plastic pushes out enough to make the gap too small for the worm to get out. I had the best results baiting the trap with shrimp or squid bits. Be sure to not grab the bristle worm with your bare hands because they do sting, they are also called "fireworms" for a reason.

 

I just bought some LR and I noticed something. After some research it looks like I have a Bristle Worm.

After reading about them They are bad for corals and such.

Is this true and if so how do I get rid of it. Can I just pick it off and hope none return can they bite or sting or anything.

Thanks

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are part of a healthy system, but if your system gets out of whack and you are overfeeding, you'll see their number skyrocket. If you want to control their population, which you shouldn't need to if you practice good husbandry skills, you can get any number of predators that will eat them, from some of the wrasses to coral banded shrimp. They are actually good for your system, as was said earlier, since they are scavengers and will make quick work of leftover food and dead things in your system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

some six lines will eat them but wrasses of the halichoeres species are more likely to eat them

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been told arrow crabs will eat them as well. I just got one from a friend and the crab is really cool. I didn't get it for anything particular but it is cool to watch. I will tell you what I notice with the arrow crab.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had baby arrow crabs eat them in the past. Pretty cool thing to watch. The only thing is that arrows crabs grow pretty fast, and will hunt your fish once big enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know much about these worms but i have a few. what I do know is that they will almost always come out when i feed my fish. So, if your interested in seeing them just put a little food in, make sure it is enough to make it to where to worms are, so they can smell it. :rollface:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been told arrow crabs will eat them as well. I just got one from a friend and the crab is really cool. I didn't get it for anything particular but it is cool to watch. I will tell you what I notice with the arrow crab.

Arrow crabs are terrible predators. They will catch your fish and anything else that moves and kill it. I have even seen them grab hermit crabs and rip them out of their shells.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...