SunWyrm May 7, 2011 Share May 7, 2011 Just got some live rock and I'm finding not the little seemingly beneficial ones, but huge nasty looking ones that are bigger than all of my fish Halp! I had 3 in a bucket that I found last night, and this morning while rearranging the rocks, I picked up a rock, was holding it for a good 3 minutes turning it over and once I put it down the biggest of my collection came out! Gah! They are now residing in a bucket with a heater, I don't want to kill them but I'm terrified of these things. It doesn't help that my husband went on youtube and found a big one eating a silverside whole. Is the general consensus that they eat dead things? And is it safe to say that my very much alive and kicking yet tiny fish should be fine if there are more of these lurking about in my 90? Pardon me while I devour chocolate and cry well away from my tank for awhile. Marisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk_market May 7, 2011 Share May 7, 2011 I actually know there about about 2~3 huge one in my tank also. I usually find them when I turn on the light in the middle of the night. I think they are too slow to catch any of the fish unless they are dead but I did lost 5 chromis within the last 4 months or so. I didnt think they are the one who did it cause chromis usually fight till they settle down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FearTheTerps May 8, 2011 Share May 8, 2011 I think you should be fine as long as you are sure they are bristle worms, and not something like a bobbit worm. If you have a fuge or sump you could always put them in there. Its good to have some vinegar on hand, if you get stuck just pour some vinegar on the bristles and they will dissolve, easiest way to remove them. I think I heard somewhere that chocolate covered bristleworms are delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FearTheTerps May 8, 2011 Share May 8, 2011 (edited) Oops Edited May 8, 2011 by FearTheTerps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k May 8, 2011 Share May 8, 2011 bristleworms are scavengers. think of them as the vultures of a reef tank. nothing to worry about. not very likely that they are Eunice worms either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite May 8, 2011 Share May 8, 2011 They CAN populate to infestation numbers. Just don't overfeed the tank, and don't let detritus build up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcreefer May 8, 2011 Share May 8, 2011 Yeah they are scary! Check out the thread on the worm I pulled out of my tank. Big Worm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k May 8, 2011 Share May 8, 2011 They CAN populate to infestation numbers. Just don't overfeed the tank, and don't let detritus build up. Most anything we grow can overpopulate including corals. A million bristle worms won't eat your fish unless they're dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanglandJoshua May 9, 2011 Share May 9, 2011 Im sorry the rock I sold you got he large bristles. I have yet to see any large ones in the rock I kept...guess I will have to keep an eye out! I saw Dave pull off a couple large ones at his house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm May 9, 2011 Author Share May 9, 2011 They were pretty scary at first, I freaked out more than I would have if I had found a spider lol. But after reading Ray's thread on his huge worm (which looks the same but quite a bit bigger than my big ones) I decided that I will make them work in my sump. There are a couple I can't get to in my DT but now after my recent oxygen tragedy I no longer have a tiny scooter to worry about so they can stay until I'm able to catch them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite May 9, 2011 Share May 9, 2011 Just make sure you don't touch them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm May 10, 2011 Author Share May 10, 2011 My tweezers that I picked them up with came back with large hairs that I couldn't get off. Very scary stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanglandJoshua May 10, 2011 Share May 10, 2011 Yikes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite May 10, 2011 Share May 10, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm May 12, 2011 Author Share May 12, 2011 EEk! I was just browsing listings when I saw a house for sale with a pool. I toyed with the idea of a sunroom over it and turning it into a huge reef tank...then my friend said "with giant bristleworms!" I about cried Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefoholic May 12, 2011 Share May 12, 2011 what the what?! Are those little spears of the worm? Eek X 10! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm September 24, 2011 Author Share September 24, 2011 Eek X 1000 - I just got "bristled" for the first time. Doesn't hurt unless you touch them with another finger (jamming them in and how i found out lol) and vinegar is dissolving them pretty fast. I was attacked by a baby hiding in macro algae. I hates them. Filthy bristle wormses! I know some six lines will munch on them but what about predators for the big monsters? I'm done with keeping them in my cuc as I'm in my tank too much for them to be more benefit than nuisance. Plus I fear for my clams. Maybe just trap them? Aand in the few minutes it took me to type this all evidence of my bristle attack is gone! Thanks FearTheTerps for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanglandJoshua September 24, 2011 Share September 24, 2011 Glad your feeling better, I guess it's like steel wool. I've never been "bristled", but my father uses an angle grinder with a steel wool attachment to polish metal. Unfortunately I know how that burns...it even goes through jeans. and theres no dissolving either...so I hope my little bristle bearing critters steer clear of me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind September 24, 2011 Share September 24, 2011 Most worm predators like arrow crabs or larger wrasses will also tend to mess with the good guys like hermit crabs or snails. Trapping may be better but wearing gloves is the best choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainRon September 25, 2011 Share September 25, 2011 (edited) Knocks on wood... I've never been zapped by a bristle worm. Been in the tank all day transfering everything from my 29 to a 93 and have a zillion bristles in the 29. Hopefully I won't find out what it's like when I finished up lol Edited September 25, 2011 by arsenic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm September 25, 2011 Author Share September 25, 2011 I definitely wear my dive gloves when I transfer rocks, but just picking up a knocked over coral I do without taking the time to put them on. But now I have a dilemma... I did a little research and found that falco hawkfish eat them! and I think great, I have 2! (My big guy that I got from Josh, and his newly purchased tiny girlfriend "Princess") Side note - to anyone who has a hawkfish, get him a mate; its the cutest thing ever to watch them hop around together. They're attached at the fin! Anyway back to my dilemma - I have pairs of harlequin and cleaner shrimp, and peppermints. I know the big guy never touched Josh's peppermint babies, but it still makes me worry about the girl as she grows and them picking at my slow moving harley's when I transfer everyone together in the 180 then 360. Although I guess I just watch when I put them in the 180 until the 360's up and then just catch the shrimp if they're in trouble. I'll keep you guys updated on that front. I hope they can at least tackle the little guys to keep the population under control. I did id some of the nasties though and while most are harmless, unfortunately I do have some of the Hermodice carunculata via http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php but while I haven't seen any on my corals recently I think I know what happened to my gorgs. Thankfully I haven't found any of my various species larger than 8" or so and haven't had any fish go missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanglandJoshua September 25, 2011 Share September 25, 2011 Glad to hear the big guy is happy! It never showed interest in the adult shrimp. But it did dine out on the baby shrimp. Just as long as they fit in it's mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm September 25, 2011 Author Share September 25, 2011 Huh, good to hear. Maybe if I can get my pep's to breed regularly they won't mess with my harlequins or cleaners. Speaking of, any tips on how I get them to breed? Or are they and they just need to go to a fuge for me to see visible fry? It seems that they all hide under one rock, I never even see them at night or in any other spot... I think I feed my tank too well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanglandJoshua September 25, 2011 Share September 25, 2011 I can only tell you what I did, since I have no other experience with breeding them. I had two females, one male, and plenty of food for them. Other than that, just keeping them alive and lots of hiding spots. Oh, and I just got a pair of baby peppermints. So maybe more females = more babies/food for fish and coral. Maybe even a couple will survive, I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite September 25, 2011 Share September 25, 2011 You are very lucky that you didn't get the "sting" of the bristling. I hurt ferociously and it took a few days to feel better (I'm allergic to stings and bites of bugs... and euphyllia... so maybe that's why I had a bad reaction). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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