Bristleworms removed!

AGWL · Feb 9, 2023

Just wanted to share because it's just so darn satisfying!

Bristleworms creep me the *** out. I'm moving everything from a 25 gallon (that was gifted to me) to a 55 gallon and the substrate in the 25 is just infested with the things. Blech. I'm replacing the substrate, so no worries there, but there are some rocks I want to keep and I've seen the BWs crawling around on/in. Traps haven't worked. My banded coral shrimp is a punk and won't eat them. Something had to be done.

Soaked one of the rocks in hot distilled water with H2O2. After an hour, this is what my daughter and I were able to get out of the rock. The really big one broke in half, but still. Gross!

jeffyang · Feb 9, 2023

I don't think it's necessary to remove them. They are beneficial inverts.

AGWL · Feb 9, 2023

jeffyang said:
I don't think it's necessary to remove them. They are beneficial inverts.

No, I get that. However, I am extremely grossed out by them. So out they go.

bushdoc · Feb 9, 2023

I have bad news for you ( although my wife says that I am usually wrong), there is plenty of them hiding in rock crevices, holes, under the rock and in a substrate(if you have one)

Sidsreef · Feb 9, 2023

AGWL said:
No, I get that. However, I am extremely grossed out by them. So out they go.

jeffyang said:
I don't think it's necessary to remove them. They are beneficial inverts.

your tank will be just fine if you remove them. there a ugly worm and i would not want any in my tank even if its a good invert they will sting you and looks nasty. never heard anyone say that bristle worms are necessary beneficial inverts to keep lol

bushdoc · Feb 9, 2023

Sidsreef said:
your tank will be just fine if you remove them. there a ugly worm and i would not want any in my tank even if its a good invert they will sting you and looks nasty. never heard anyone say that bristle worms are necessary beneficial inverts to keep lol

I am a bit weird, but when I got few bristleworms with Tampa Bay Live Rock, I cherished them and put into my sump and DT.

Sidsreef · Feb 9, 2023

bushdoc said:
I am a bit weird, but when I got few bristleworms with Tampa Bay Live Rock, I cherished them and put into my sump and DT.

hey man maybe thats what ill do. i feel like they would be fine in a sump. iduno about DT....bobbit worms are gross also

YOYOYOReefer · Feb 9, 2023

If those are creepy imagine tearing down a huge lagoon with 500+ lbs of rock for 3 days, to find a Bobbit worm crawling over my barefoot. It was at least 5 feet. it must have came in our our rock (this was in the late 90s) and lived in there 6 years or so... i had no idea such creatures existed till the pond was down to a a few inches.

ReefGuard Systems · Feb 9, 2023

they give me the creeps too.. but they really are a good member of CUC

Fish Styx · Feb 9, 2023

bushdoc said:
I am a bit weird, but when I got few bristleworms with Tampa Bay Live Rock, I cherished them and put into my sump and DT.

Me too. I ordered them from Indo Pacific Sea Farms to seed my tank.

YOYOYOReefer · Feb 9, 2023

they are creepy, and like mice for every one you see theres more in the walls (rocks)

Sidsreef · Feb 9, 2023

YOYOYOReefer said:
If those are creepy imagine tearing down a huge lagoon with 500+ lbs of rock for 3 days, to find a Bobbit worm crawling over my barefoot. It was at least 5 feet. it must have came in our our rock (this was in the late 90s) and lived in there 6 years or so... i had no idea such creatures existed till the pond was down to a a few inches.

OrionN · May 31, 2023

bushdoc said:
I am a bit weird, but when I got few bristleworms with Tampa Bay Live Rock, I cherished them and put into my sump and DT.

Not weird at all. Back in the 1980's we keep sterile saltwater aquarium with dolomite UGF (under gravel filter if you don't know). There was an old LFS in San Antonio called Fintique on West Avenue. It has been around for 40-50 years by now, but back then it was a thriving LFS. One of their tanks have small bristle worms in the sand. I have to ask the owner to get some so I can seed my tank with them. It really helps stabilize and decrease nutrients in my tank, plus feeding my fish. I had trigger and large angels that occasionally get one or two from the surface of the sand.

ravila101 · May 31, 2023

If you continue to find them I know if you add a coral banded shrimp , that will fix your problem!

ravila101 · May 31, 2023

I saw one going In my rock and I instantly threw away all of my rocks away and got new ones

OrionN · May 31, 2023

AGWL said:
Just wanted to share because it's just so darn satisfying!

Bristleworms creep me the *** out. I'm moving everything from a 25 gallon (that was gifted to me) to a 55 gallon and the substrate in the 25 is just infested with the things. Blech. I'm replacing the substrate, so no worries there, but there are some rocks I want to keep and I've seen the BWs crawling around on/in. Traps haven't worked. My banded coral shrimp is a punk and won't eat them. Something had to be done.

Soaked one of the rocks in hot distilled water with H2O2. After an hour, this is what my daughter and I were able to get out of the rock. The really big one broke in half, but still. Gross!

If I am you, I would boil everything first before I put it into your tank. You must keep it hot long enough to boiling temperature reach inside the middle of the rock. Rinse everything alive, that you want in the tank, with fresh sterile sea water. You can boil salt water then cool it down.
Doing this you will have animals you put into the tank on purpose and no hitch hiker. I am sure you can achieve what you want by doing this. Won't have a very interesting tank, IMO, and very difficult to keep stable, but with enough water changes, hopefully it can keep the fishes alive. Some of the invertebrates are a lot hardier, but "creepiness" is a death sentence so "creepiness be gone".

ScottJ · May 31, 2023

I'm not trying to start any arguments here, but you probably would NOT want to boil any live rock. It can explode (air pockets expanding with a lot of force), and worst case, palytoxin can be a risk. Small risk, granted, but still a risk.

Gomez Adams · May 31, 2023

If you REALLY want revenge, just get a six line wrasse and watch him work.

Leadfooted · May 31, 2023

This looks fun and all if you have the time but all ya need is the plastic bottle DIY bristle worm trap. You'll Catch a lot more and it's very satisfying to find them in the trap the next morning. If you don't like them, this is the way to go, it'll at least keep the larger ones out. Just google bristle worm trap and you'll find plenty of good options.

Alexraptor · May 31, 2023

ScottJ said:
I'm not trying to start any arguments here, but you probably would NOT want to boil any live rock. It can explode (air pockets expanding with a lot of force), and worst case, palytoxin can be a risk. Small risk, granted, but still a risk.

Not to mention that boiling live rock is just such an incredible waste and defeats the entire purpose of buying live rock in the first place. Better to sell/give it away to someone who wants it, and just buy and throw in dry rock.