Fireworm or bristleworm?

[the_chef_pierre]

I've definitely had bristleworms in my tank but this one looks slightly different. Any opinions on whether it's a bristleworm or possibly a firework?

 

[brmreefer]

Looks like a bristleworm similar to what is in my tank. Part of my clean up crew (CUC) and had no issues with them.

 

[the_chef_pierre]

Thanks. Yeah I've just been worried lately because I also know I have a medusa worm and i saw a furry grey worm the size of my finger one night which i believe may be a bobbit worm, and the likely reason my goby went missing unfortunately

 

[Plunder]

It looks like some of the mama mia worms I got from IPSF.

 

[Silverfish]

You can always touch it and find out.
Hurts alot=bristleworm.
Hurts like your heads on fire =Fireworm

 

[vetteguy53081]

A fireworm is mainly distinct with red outline at bristles however a young fireworm is very similar to a bristle. Im thinking fireworm. My suggestion: IF IN DOUBT, CHUCK IT OUT !! Missing a bristleworm is no loss to your tank. I would noe risk the guessing.

Young fireworm (as in your pics

 

[the_chef_pierre]

Hahaha. Just found another bigger one. If it is a fireworm, I wonder if it could have ate my wheeler goby

 

[the_chef_pierre]

If it is a fireworm, how can I get it out?

 

[brmreefer]

Maybe try and enticing it out of the hole with food, and grab it with tweezers. Otherwise, I think there was some kind of DIY bristleworm traps that could be looked up on-the-line (Online).

 

[the_chef_pierre]

Would a bristleworm trap work with fireworms do you think?

 

[brmreefer]

I would think so. I'm thinking if they sense an opportunity for food then they would go for it just like any other detritivore. I am thinking it is worth a try if you can DIY it cheap. Set it up for a night or two and see what you get in the morning. Just mind the NO3 increase if using something that could rot in the trap. Good luck and hope it works out the way you want it to.

 

[minus9]

It's a bristleworm. 99.9% of the the worms in reef tanks are bristleworms. Fireworms were more prevalent when ocean rock was being sold in this hobby, even then their numbers were pretty low. You'll know eheim you have a fireworm, because anything starts to disappear.

 

[minus9]

It's a bristleworm. 99.9% of the the worms in reef tanks are bristleworms. Fireworms were more prevalent when ocean rock was being sold in this hobby, even then their numbers were pretty low. You'll know eheim you have a fireworm, because anything starts to disappear.

Wow, my auto correct really sucks.

 

[the_chef_pierre]

Well my goby disappeared, and I was told the liverock I bought was super old. I ended up getting bryopsis from it to start, and now I'm worried about possible fireworms and maybe a bobbit worm, because I did see a large furry grey worm right after my goby went missing, but now I havent seen the grey worm since.

 

[Erink]

Bristle worm... I have one about 15cm long... I've only seen him 1x when he was munching on a dead snail at night

 

[the_chef_pierre]

So any ideas what might explain my goby going missing? I have nothing else in the tank other than a pistol shrimp and a few snails. Could the thick grey worm I saw be a bobbit? Sorry, I dont know a lot about worms and couldnt get a photo of that one when I saw it but it definitely looked different, and thick and hairy and grey almost like a caterpillar.

 

[minus9]

The goby could've jumped or been spooked and hid. It may be with the pistol? What type of pistol shrimp?

 

[the_chef_pierre]

Tiger pistol. But the gob has been gone for around 2 weeks now, and my tank is only a small nuvo 30 gal tank. I feel like I should have seen him again by now

 

[minus9]

Do you have a lid? Check in the back chamber. Wheelers are small, so they can fit through small openings. Also consider that the goby could've been unhealthy if not QT'd?
If you fear the worms, create a simple trap using the end of panty hose (foot) and put some food in there (shrimp or similar), tie it off and put it near the suspected rock or area where the worm(s) may be. Do this after lights out. The worms will go after the food and their bristles will get entangled in the panty hose, carefully pull the panty hose out slowly while you use a net underneath to catch any worms that may fall off.

 

[the_chef_pierre]

Ok. I'll get this this weekend. I had the goby for around 2 months and he was paired with the pistol. He was skittish but never saw him try to jump or anything. I do have a mesh lid. Will check the back sump area. As for the worms, would the pantyhose trick catch larger worms, like the large grey one I saw or am I looking at possibly having to start over?