Last night we got home late turned on my living room lights and started looking at the tank noticed what I googled and looked like bristleworms counted four longest was about three inches. I’ve had the tank for a year and a half never seen these things. They’re creepy. I haven’t added anything to the tank in months either. I’ve Red about them and the only solid thing I’ve gotten is that they’re good detritus eaters. But do I have to worry about my snails, crabs, fish, and anemone?
Another bristleworm thread.
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homer1475
Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
No they are part of your CUC, and no matter how much you try and eradicate them from your system, they will always be there.
Unsightly, maybe, but certainly wont harm a thing other then something that dead and rotting.
Unsightly, maybe, but certainly wont harm a thing other then something that dead and rotting.
be careful they have mandibles capable of crushing a human tibia.... hahah jk they dont hurt anything unless you grab them in which case it feels like grabbing a caterpillar. if you must remove them, place a chunk of meaty food in a small glass jar that is covered by a lid with holes in an open area of the tank right when the lights go out, return in the middle of the night with some long forceps and pull out any of them that have congregated around the food.
Jay Z
Valuable Member
Usually under rocks and substrate during the day. Just wear gloves when working in the tank, specially if digging or grabbing rocks from underneath.
It doesn’t happen very often. But the knee jerk reaction you get when it does.......
Make sure them lights is hung tight!
I've come to think about bristleworms like income taxes.
Interactions with them are always painful. While lots of people try to convince me theyre beneficial rather than detrimental I don't find their arguments compelling. But it doesnt appear there is any practical way to avoid them, so its probably best to just minimize my interactions with them and move on.
Interactions with them are always painful. While lots of people try to convince me theyre beneficial rather than detrimental I don't find their arguments compelling. But it doesnt appear there is any practical way to avoid them, so its probably best to just minimize my interactions with them and move on.
Daniel@R2R
Living the Reef Life
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New&no clue
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You can put traps out, or just wait for them to come out and grab them quickly with tongs or long tweezers. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve pulled out of the tank but it’s to no avail there is always more. As a mother I equate it more to laundry, you think you got it all but as soon as you turn around there’s more.
ca1ore
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Just leave them be!!!!! There are things to worry about in a reef tank and things to not worry about, guess which this is LOL. Hint: I haven't worried about bristleworm populations in probably two decades. if you feed more there will be more; if you feed less there will be less. I have literally never had a verifiable case of one feeding on anything that wasn't already dead or dying.
I’ve grabbed bristleworms accidentally at least 50 times. I have no problem with them. They serve a purpose, and an important one. The “sting” is like handling fiberglass insulation. Irritates for 5 minutes and then goes away. Their little spikes are a pain to pull out. Last time (last week) I touched one I just scraped the bristles out and put some Benadryl cream on it and it was fine. I’ve been “stung” by way worse things in my tank than these worms. Held my knuckles against some green palys without realizing it this last weekend while securing a coral to a rock and that really irritated my skin. With palytoxin I was legit worried about that.
I like the creepy crawly stuff in my tank. The more little critters, the more natural and balanced I think a tank can be. With the exception of mantis shrimps and the obvious bonafide pests that kill things. The night crew can be as entertaining as the main attractions. I have some weird elephant trunk creature that sticks it’s “trunk” out from the rockwork when I’m feeding the corals. Had the tank up and running since 2007 and I still find things I’ve never seen before from time to time.
I like the creepy crawly stuff in my tank. The more little critters, the more natural and balanced I think a tank can be. With the exception of mantis shrimps and the obvious bonafide pests that kill things. The night crew can be as entertaining as the main attractions. I have some weird elephant trunk creature that sticks it’s “trunk” out from the rockwork when I’m feeding the corals. Had the tank up and running since 2007 and I still find things I’ve never seen before from time to time.
