Firework?

ahunter26 · Apr 20, 2024

Hello guys I think I know the answer for this but just want to make sure I’m right. Is this a firework? :C tried to remove it but went under the rock really fast….

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Apr 20, 2024

I assume you meant "fireworm", and no, it's not. It's a harmless bristleworm.

ahunter26 · Apr 20, 2024

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal said:
I assume you meant "fireworm", and no, it's not. It's a harmless bristleworm.

lol yes I did mean fireworm but autocorrect is not helpful you sure it is not a fireworm? How can you tell so I can learn to identify them

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Apr 20, 2024

ahunter26 said:
lol yes I did mean fireworm but autocorrect is not helpful you sure it is not a fireworm? How can you tell so I can learn to identify them

There are very few types of fireworms that are harmful to coral (none are harmful to fish), and these are rare in the hobby. "Bristleworm" and "fireworm" are not scientific terms and are often used interchangeably.

I would bet good money that you'll never have a harmful fireworm in your tank unless you add live rock from the Gulf, and it's still unlikely you'd get one then.

"Fireworms" are the boogymen of the reef keeping world... they're actually the best cuc members you can have.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Apr 20, 2024

I don't often link to Wikipedia, but do so here mostly for the pics. The bearded fireworm is bold, crawls around during the day and you'll find it on SPS corals eating them. Again, it's highly unlikely that any worm you see in your tank will be one of these.