paul b June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I noticed many times over the years especially when I have an exotic looking crustacean like a shrimp or crab, they disappear when they molt. I think I figured out why. Bristle worms. I have loads of bristle worms and for the most part I leave them alone. I think the problem is the large ones as they can get 5 or 6", some larger. You almost never see these guys and they grow quickly but I feel they actively hunt down soft bodied animals like freshly molted crabs and eat them. They have a great sense of smell and if I put a piece of clam in the dark, in a few minutes I will see them slithering out of the rocks toward it, then they will fight over it. A newly molted crab or shrimp will offer little resistance to these guys. I think we should trap the larger worms. We will never be able to eliminate al of them but if you are losing animals you may want to look into these predators. Besides that, they are fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkiCurtis June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 Paul You might have something there. thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I agree. I think they ate my sexy shrimp when they molted. I found a huge one, about 5+" in my 3 gallon pico. I sent it on it's way via the porcelain pond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecool2 June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I've noticed that bristle worms seem to go through phases in this hobby. When I started, they were absolutely evil and needed to be eradicated immediately. Slowly that turned to where in the last few years, people seem mostly fine with them as essential elements of the fauna in a healthy tank. It's an interesting thought that they could be preying on them after a molt. Since I'm the new guy, I'll play devil's advocate Cleaner shrimp and coral banded shrimp eat bristle worms when they can find them. I'd imagine that if they can hunt for them, they know how to evade them when they are vulnerable. What about the possibility that the shrimp had a bad molt and died (or was dieing) and you caught the worm doing it's job? I good example are aterina stars. Some people think they eat zoas, but research seems to point out that they only eat a zoa when it is already dead/dieing and we have made a false correlation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schudini June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I've noticed that bristle worms seem to go through phases in this hobby. When I started, they were absolutely evil and needed to be eradicated immediately. Slowly that turned to where in the last few years, people seem mostly fine with them as essential elements of the fauna in a healthy tank. It's an interesting thought that they could be preying on them after a molt. Since I'm the new guy, I'll play devil's advocate Cleaner shrimp and coral banded shrimp eat bristle worms when they can find them. I'd imagine that if they can hunt for them, they know how to evade them when they are vulnerable. What about the possibility that the shrimp had a bad molt and died (or was dieing) and you caught the worm doing it's job? I good example are aterina stars. Some people think they eat zoas, but research seems to point out that they only eat a zoa when it is already dead/dieing and we have made a false correlation. Well, I don't know about the bristleworms, but I detest the asterina stars. The small ones that I find grazing on algae either on the glass or on the rock are fine. But the moment I see a big one fully enveloping the head of a zoa that was perfectly happy the day before, he is out of the tank faster than you can say "low-down dirty varmint". (When I see an asterina, I have caught myself saying "I keel you!". Jeff Dunham fans will understand what I mean) Regarding big bristleworms, I wonder what food source they have in order to reach that size anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecool2 June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 Not to get too far off topic, but here's a lot of info on asterinas: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/ac/feature/index.php http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rs/index.php http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101- http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rs/index.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b June 4, 2012 Author Share June 4, 2012 (edited) I'd imagine that if they can hunt for them, they know how to evade them when they are vulnerable. I think you are giving shrimp too much credit. Just after they molt, they can't hardly move at all Edited June 4, 2012 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 (edited) My last cleaner molted and backed up into our maxi mini. Bad day for all involved. I guess I should chime in that the (usually blue) exceptionally fuzzy ones are "coral lickers" (can't find the source at work ). I haven't noticed any damage on anything yet, but they clean up anything that dies very quickly, so I've been leaving them be. I might trap some of the larger ones soon and move them to a fuge. Seems that they are the only ones that get to an exceptional size in my tanks. I have some of the smaller, pink/purple, normal bristleworms, but none over 4". Anyone have/use arrow crabs? Edit: Found a source, not the one I wanted but it works, http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php Hermodice carunculata Edited June 4, 2012 by YiatzOfEden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecool2 June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I think you are giving shrimp too much credit. Just after they molt, they can't hardly move at all Monsters! Those look like polycheate (sp?) worms to me. Very fat, kinda smooth on the top and bluish/green/gray? I'm not saying it isn't possible, just trying to see what else it could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 Yep, that's what they are. Horrible little monsters. They get big and fat. These are what I found my little pico. Still considered a bristle worm. Monsters! Those look like polycheate (sp?) worms to me. Very fat, kinda smooth on the top and bluish/green/gray? I'm not saying it isn't possible, just trying to see what else it could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I think you are giving shrimp too much credit. Just after they molt, they can't hardly move at all That's huge! I think I lost my Maxima clam to those bristle worms. Completely clean out the maxima clam over night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b June 4, 2012 Author Share June 4, 2012 Watch out for the ones wearing motorcycle jackets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 ^"Fireworms" Soon to replace "H-E-double hockey sticks's Angels"? I can see it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wogga June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I'm sure we've ALL seen our bristleworms eating a dead animal, but that is not proof of causal correlation. That is, rather, support for the widely held consensus that they are very good scavengers. Has anyone ever actually WITNESSED a bristleworm KILLING a live animal? unless that causal correlation link is firmly established, i think the overall consensus of 'bristleworms are a highly effective, highly efficient scavenger who should be welcome in any reef establishment' should stand. innocent until proven guilty... unless of course you're anti-biodiversity, in which case, KILL EVERYTHING THAT MOVES! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecool2 June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 Well said wogga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 ...unless of course you're anti-biodiversity, in which case, KILL EVERYTHING THAT MOVES! And some things that don't I'm not being helpful here, am I... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wogga June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 And some things that don't I'm not being helpful here, am I... It's the sessiles that i care about most! I think you're actually on the right track, chad. Witch-hunting bristleworms is yet another excuse to keep putting our hands in our tanks - not the best thing to support that sessile biodiversity... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm June 4, 2012 Share June 4, 2012 I guess if coral counts as a live animal, then yes, but maybe they're pruning dying tissue, who knows? Bristleworms in general are awesome, but opportunistic. Shouldn't fully trust them with anything weak or immobile. As for clams, if there's something wrong with it it's dinner, otherwise it's just a nice place to hide. I've found them only to be a problem if there is a foot to be irritated (small derasa with a foot sitting on the sand bed) by them. Moved the clam to the rocks and it was no longer an issue. And to anyone who doesn't know, if you touch one, soak your hand/finger in vinegar. This dissolves the spines and painful/itchy feeling. On a side note, my link says this: "Figure 3. A predator to avoid; the worm illustrated here is Hermodice carunculata, the large predatory fireworm commonly found in the Caribbean. It is very rarely found in reef aquaria." I have a ton of the blue guys in C. Am I id'ing these right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b June 4, 2012 Author Share June 4, 2012 Has anyone ever actually WITNESSED a bristleworm KILLING a live animal? I have only seen them eating a fish that was dying, but not yet dead and I have seen that quite a few times. But I copied this from another forum on the same topic my bristle worms are huge and I only have a 14gal cube. I have a 5in one that I personally witnessed eating my tail spot blenny (r.i.p), so I pulled him out and fed it to pigeon ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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