Any One Know What These Are?

[Nate]

I was sifting through my sand bed and pulled a bunch of these worm like guys out. Anyone know what they are?

 

[Jan]

Nasty bristle worms. They sting. Some folks will say they're good, some will say they're not.

[Sikryd]

Not bristle -

 

Spaghetti worms

[Jan]

Not bristle -

 

Spaghetti worms

Oooohhh, I see...they have all those little tentacle looking thingys. Thank you. Aren't spaghetti worms good?

Edited May 11, 2009 by Jan

[Nate]

I am trying to figure out if they are a good thing to have

[st9z]

I personally do not like them since they cover your sand bed with red strings. They are beneficial to have especially if you have a lot of debri on your sandbed, but then again that is what snails are for. So it is really up to you to decide, me I stuck them up very time I do a water change.

[st9z]

Here is an article on the them. BTW some ppl like these so much they buy off the internet

 

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/rs/index.php

[lanman]

Here is an article on the them. BTW some ppl like these so much they buy off the internet

 

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/rs/index.php

 

+1 - these are very popular in some circles. One man's trash is another man's treasure. I have one tank that breeds Asterina starfish by the hundreds. According to what I have seen online - I could sell them.

 

bob

[zygote2k]

Once again- something weird in your tank- is it bad? is it good?

Why not just leave it alone and see what benefits it might add to your system?

FWIW, I have all types of worms in my all natural system and they do marvelous things.

[L8 2 RISE]

Oooohhh, I see...they have all those little tentacle looking thingys. Thank you. Aren't spaghetti worms good?

 

Most of the worms are good IMO, they help clean up, the only problem with spaghetti worms in particular, as Nikki pointed out, they leave red strings all over the sand, but they help clean up.

 

I am trying to figure out if they are a good thing to have

 

IMO yes, as far as I know the only reason people get rid of bristle worms, or any worm for that matter, is because 1, they have sharp bristles that hurt when touched, or 2, they're over running the tank (if this is the case, then the bristle worms obviously have plenty of food, so maybe you should consider not feeding as much).

[jason the filter freak]

they're good stuff imo, they're really neat to watch and eat detritus

[Jan]

Why not just leave it alone and see what benefits it might add to your system?

 

Apparently some of us are not sure of what is good or bad for our systems so we seek the very much appreciated valuable knowledge from the patient, understanding and tolerant WAMAS sages.

[zygote2k]

Why not just leave it alone and see what benefits it might add to your system?

 

 

Apparently some of us are not sure of what is good or bad for our systems so we seek the very much appreciated valuable knowledge from the patient, understanding and tolerant WAMAS sages.

Sage advice from the forums- Most of what you find in your tank is "good" as long as it is in proportion to the rest of the system. Obviously diseases and parasites aren't too good except as indicators of larger problems. Most of the microfauna that you find in the live rock and sandbed are beneficial to the other critters in your tank. I personally encourage everything to flourish that comes naturally with the rock and sand. Many people have had negative instances with various mystery critters over the years, and they dub these critters as bad...

It's just like that myth that's been perpetuated over the years- "saltwater is hard".

[paul b]

They have been in my reef for three decades so I would say to leave them alone, they arwe great scavengers and will not hurt anything. I got a million of them

[Sugar Magnolia]

Hey it's Paul! Stopping by to check us out?

[paul b]

Sugar, it was your Idea so I figured I would stop by, How you doing?