Bristleworms???!!!!!

ameelou73 · 02-14-2007, 10:01 PM

My LR is infested we just happened to change the water because the nitrate spiked. We saw one then we saw several. We decided to take out the piece of LR they were hiding in and you would not believe what came out and what we tweezed out and what just flushed out under cold fresh water. All sizes huge to tiny. Atleast a 100 in all ... That was just one rock what the heck should I do...?????????

bklynmet · 02-14-2007, 10:07 PM

Nothing, IMO... they are detritus eaters and scavengers... their bristles hurt if you touch them - some people have severe reaction... but overall, they're safe... there's tons in mine.. they reach a balance at some point w.r.t. how much uneaten food and detritus is available... more food for them, the greater their numbers.

However, you will find people that hate them - because they're not pretty.

ameelou73 · 02-14-2007, 10:13 PM

I have read that they will eat corals and some inverts. Some of them are huge. Are you sure they should stay? I have the rock I ran through fresh water just sitting in salt water.

trea · 02-14-2007, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ameelou73

I have read that they will eat corals and some inverts. Some of them are huge. Are you sure they should stay? I have the rock I ran through fresh water just sitting in salt water.

If I may ask, what kind of clean up crew do you have? If your bristle worm population is to a point that it bothers you, get more hermit crabs, cleaner shrimps, and narcissarius snails. Your bristleworm probably need some competition. If your cleanup crew is light, they are probably feeling that they have run of the tank. My wife and I had more bristle worm then I personally cared for. I personally think there was a link between my lack of cleanup crew and my large population of bristle worm. I mean the slightest bit of food and they would come out. Once your cleanup crew get moving the bristle worm population will begin to check itself. You can also try the bristle worm trap called "Trap Em". That has worked for me. Your local LFS may have some or Foster and Smith. Put the stinky dry food in the trap and it draws them like magnets. You could easily catch 10+ juicy ones in the first 1-2 hours. Oh yeah, one more thing try to make sure your not overfeeding. You have to reduce their oppotunities to get catch free falling meals.

ameelou73 · 02-14-2007, 11:12 PM

I have about 20 hermits 20 snails maybe more. Just in last few days I started feeding every other day. I just thought that they were really bad. We got some big ones almost a 1/4 " in width. They are nasty. I just hope I can catch them. I read that the multiply quite fast. I could get more hermits but they seem to dissapear over time. Maybe the bristleworms are eating them.? Amy

dobejazz · 02-14-2007, 11:17 PM

The majority of bristle worms are detrivores and are harmeless. as the food source goes away the population should diminish

ameelou73 · 02-14-2007, 11:46 PM

TY for the advice. I just hope to not see them. I am not normally so bothered. They made me feel "not clean". LOL Why have read that they are so terrible? I almost wanted to take all my LR and start over. That thought was quick to pass ...LOL

grallster · 02-15-2007, 06:48 AM

I think bristleworms are a beneficial plus in my tanks.

lostwhirley · 02-15-2007, 08:33 AM

I totally agree with grallster. I think bristleworms are fully beneficial to reef tanks.

bklynmet · 02-15-2007, 09:01 AM

Here's a thread I bookmarked because it's a good discussion about bristle worms and people's conceptions...
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=762945

The thread above is a good one.. you can read the misconceptions people have about them and how convincing they can be.. however, if you read through it and read the expert's (LeslieH's) opinion, you'll find truth in between a lot of 'wivestails'...

But honestly, don't take everything you read online -especially in the forums - for truth without thoroughly researching the topic and giving more weight to arguments posted by experts... going through several different forums and assimilating the research is what I do because there are various experience levels for those posting at various forums...

I

dochoot · 02-15-2007, 11:01 AM

I intentionally added them when I set up my tank. Have never seen a really big one though. How long are your worms?

ameelou73 · 02-15-2007, 11:32 AM

some reached as long 6" and pinky size in width. I have several actually atleast 20 books that say to get rid of them. I think I will take each rock out and put them in containers and will fresh salt water and let them starve. I hope this is not to drastic but honestly I didn't knowingly intoduce them and they can possibly cause death if they are large enough and hungry enough. Which they are plenty big enough and I kept some to take pics of.

grallster · 02-15-2007, 04:54 PM

I think that the bristleworms would probably be the last thing in the rock to starve. Have you had any coral being munched on?

digitalis · 02-15-2007, 05:10 PM

If you take out your live rock and put it in freshwater, you'll probably kill whatever beneficial bacteria is in it. Your tank cycle might be disturbed. When the rock is cured in warehouses, it is kept in rooms, and sprayed so as to keep it wet, but not underwater, and the creatures just crawl out of it.

Junkzoo · 02-15-2007, 07:58 PM

I'd leave them ,,,and mebbe remove the huge ones, if you see any,,,I have heard the bigger ones could be trouble in a tank,,,,,,but the lil ones are way OK to have,,,,