Bristle worms (mmmmmm)

[just reefing]

Ok fellow reefers. How many bristle worms is too many bristle worms? I’ve got at least a hundred in my 150g. Don’t see them being a threat to any of my corals or fish but tonight they all seem to have come out looking for a snack. I’ve reduced feeding for my fish as I’ve seen a lot of wasted food sitting on the sand bed. I’m thinking they came out because of the reduced feeding, but golly there’s a lot in my tank lol

 

[Crabs McJones]

That's alotta worms

 

[just reefing]

That's alotta worms

This is just one rock, I’ve got them all over the tank… what do I do lol

 

[Crabs McJones]

This is just one rock, I’ve got them all over the tank… what do I do lol

You're on the right track with cutting back on excess food. If they're overwhelming you can try a home made bristleworm trap using a pop bottle

 

[CoralB]

IMO one is too many !!! .

 

[just reefing]

You're on the right track with cutting back on excess food. If they're overwhelming you can try a home made bristleworm trap using a pop bottle

I got one of those fancy worm traps off Amazon but I think they’re smarter than Jeff bezos lol

 

[Slocke]

Get a dragon wrasse!

Jk thats a crazy solution but I would love to see what mine would do in a tank like that.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok fellow reefers. How many bristle worms is too many bristle worms? I’ve got at least a hundred in my 150g. Don’t see them being a threat to any of my corals or fish but tonight they all seem to have come out looking for a snack. I’ve reduced feeding for my fish as I’ve seen a lot of wasted food sitting on the sand bed. I’m thinking they came out because of the reduced feeding, but golly there’s a lot in my tank lol

For me, one is too many. Having a few can be advantageous for sifting sand and eating unwanted sediment but this often leads to them multiplying and in a sense overtaking the sandbed

 

[CoralB]

Get a dragon wrasse!

Jk thats a crazy solution but I would love to see what mine would do in a tank like that.

Melanares wrasses don’t get as big but do a good job with them over time . Dragon wrasses are cool as heck though

 

[KQuillan]

Only thing that worked for me was waiting until they were almost all the way out and then grab them with the tweezers. You have to be quick.

 

[just reefing]

Only thing that worked for me was waiting until they were almost all the way out and then grab them with the tweezers. You have to be quick.

That would be ideal, but I’ve got a clown that likes to torpedo my hands when ever I stick my hand in the tank… I’m curious about this dragon wrasse though lol

 

[Ilija Z]

Get a dragon wrasse!

Jk thats a crazy solution but I would love to see what mine would do in a tank like that.

I have never heard of a dragon wrasse but that doesn't mean much since I am new to the hobby. Lol. I just googled it and I must say, that is a cool fish. It is a fish I would consider doing a fish specific tank for.

 

[Slocke]

Melanares wrasses don’t get as big but do a good job with them over time . Dragon wrasses are cool as heck though

A Melanurus may pick at an exposed one. A dragon will destroy the sand and rockwork to find a snack. I’m scared of when she’s big enough to try flipping:

 

[Lavey29]

I've got a huge gang of them. They are beneficial in many ways. I think the rank will self regulate the population like everything else.

 

[Slocke]

I have never heard of a dragon wrasse but that doesn't mean much since I am new to the hobby. Lol. I just googled it and I must say, that is a cool fish. It is a fish I would consider doing a fish specific tank for.

Mine has more personality than any fish I’ve ever owned. They’d make a great fish specific tank.

 

[Ilija Z]

Mine has more personality than any fish I’ve ever owned. They’d make a great fish specific tank.

I'm too new to say I will do it but it will be in the back of my mind for sure.

 

[CoralB]

A Melanurus may pick at an exposed one. A dragon will destroy the sand and rockwork to find a snack. I’m scared of when she’s big enough to try flipping:

Nice !!

 

[Rugops]

I would get a Banded Coral Shrimp. They do eat bristle worms and I think you can do then in groups but I am not sure.

 

[just reefing]

I would get a Banded Coral Shrimp. They do eat bristle worms and I think you can do then in groups but I am not sure.

I got the shrimp, got an arrow crab and a cleaner wrasse

 

[just reefing]

Update on the worms. I’ve been having some issues with my tangs and my LFS saw my original picture and told me the infestation of worms maybe causing some of the tang effects. I took one rock out… ONE ROCK from my DT threw it into a bucket of R/O with coral dip and this was the verdict. I sat there for 30 min pulling these worms out before putting it back into the tank. I don’t want to take too many rocks out due to beneficial bacteria dying off so I’ll be pulling a new rock out every week or every other to try and preserve the good bacteria as much as I can