Help me identify if good or bad bristle worm

normal · Nov 23, 2020

Hi All,

I have different kinds of bristle worms on my tank. Mostly the usual and regular bristle worms we see on these forums, but today I managed to snatch a photo of the ones that I'm kinda worried about. They are much wider and usually longer than regular bristle worms and the bristles look bigger and whiter, but they do not have the red coloration of the fire worms.

Could you guys help me identify if this is a good or bad bristle worm.

Thanks in advance!

Webslinger · Nov 23, 2020

good if you like bristle worms

RedFrog211 · Nov 23, 2020

Honestly, with it being that big, I’d vote remove it. Maybe you can set up a water bottle trap with some food in it and leave it overnight?

TnFishwater98 · Nov 23, 2020

Ive never seen that pattern on the common bristle worms Ive seen. Crazy looking

nanonøkk · Nov 23, 2020

i think thats big enough to where you can take it out but i’m pretty sure that’s a normal bristle worm

ReefBridge · Nov 23, 2020

They look like a bristle worm that you shouldn’t need to worry about. It’s not a fireworm. I don’t generally like regular bristle worms but I’ve had tanks with them in there and they haven’t caused any problems.

I got an emerald crab at one point and I don’t know if the crab was eating the worms or just stopping them from foraging, but the population dropped after the crab arrived.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 23, 2020

It’s a bristleworm and a big one ! I’d personally discard, however do not handle it unless you’re wearing gloves, I prefer aqua tongs

KJ · Dec 12, 2020

normal said:
Hi All,

I have different kinds of bristle worms on my tank. Mostly the usual and regular bristle worms we see on these forums, but today I managed to snatch a photo of the ones that I'm kinda worried about. They are much wider and usually longer than regular bristle worms and the bristles look bigger and whiter, but they do not have the red coloration of the fire worms.

Could you guys help me identify if this is a good or bad bristle worm.

Thanks in advance!

Pherecardia striata (Lined fireworm)

Zoa_Fanatic · Dec 14, 2020

At that size and with the red ring around the bristles at the base of the worm I’m voting for fireworm. Either way at that size it needs to be removed and murdered. The larger bristle worms, even the good ones, can start to prey on small fishes. I’d kill the large ones and get an arrow crab or corris wrasse to take out the smaller ones.

Rickybobby · Dec 14, 2020

I know there good but they scare me and I remove. A month ago we had a power outage the tank went down to 68f. It caused all the worms to come out of hiding and I axed them all!

goggs29 · Dec 14, 2020

Put a saddle on it and ride it back to the lost city of Atlantis

Brooke24 · Dec 17, 2020

KJ said:
Pherecardia striata (Lined fireworm)

Yikes

MichaelReefer · Dec 17, 2020

I dont have many Bristle worms (only a few hanging out in my refugium), but once they get over a few inches big I always pick them out.

don_chuwish · Dec 17, 2020

When I had those I also had a lot of empty snail shells near their hiding places.

User1 · Dec 17, 2020

Does it have a leather jacket on? Seems all the bad boys have leather jackets on... I don't know, just a thought

I’m Batman · Dec 24, 2020

Dude I was not expecting that photo.... holy crap that gives me the heebee jeebeez...

MichaelReefer said:
always pick them out

How? Anytime I go near bristle worms they quickly slide back into the hole they’re hiding in.

MichaelReefer · Dec 28, 2020

I’m Batman said:
Dude I was not expecting that photo.... holy crap that gives me the heebee jeebeez...

How? Anytime I go near bristle worms they quickly slide back into the hole they’re hiding in.

I dont have them in my Display that I've ever seen, only in my Refugium. I have rubble in my Refugium so I just reach in with my super long tweezers.