ID please. Bristle or fireworm

recess62 · Apr 26, 2016

Psiber_Syn · Apr 26, 2016

Bristle worm just a biggun

recess62 · Apr 26, 2016

The Zoa to the left is not happy. Do bristle worms irritate corals?

Reefing Madness · Apr 26, 2016

Bristle Worm, no, they will eat the detritus around the corals, and or dead flesh.

Roboson · Apr 29, 2016

It may bother it while looking for food among the polyps. But that's just because it's brushing up against It and not because it's truly bothering it.

oodan · Apr 29, 2016

I found them in my refugium just know is this good or bad ? Ready to dump it all out

Roboson · Apr 30, 2016

I would. They're not very attractive and are potentially painful members of an aquarium. But if they're just in a sump or refugium and not the display tank then up to you.

Lionfish Lair · Apr 30, 2016

IMO, leave them alone. If you see some big ones that are out in the open and easy to grab, sure remove them if you want. You'll never remove them all from your entire system and will go insane trying to do so. They don't hurt anything and even if you picked them up, it's just little bristles in your finger. It's not like they go deep and cause blood. It's just irritation and not "sting pain". Dip your finger in some vinegar and they magically disappear. No muss, no fuss. Live and let live, until they give you a reason to do otherwise.

If there are tonnes in there so they're swarming, the problem is not with the worm, but with the tank. You have other issues you need to address, if you find that happening.

Bdog4u2 · Apr 30, 2016

I put them in my sump to keep it clean

oodan · Apr 30, 2016

I just did a water change scrubbed my rocks scraped my glass and Fish through my refuge and got them all out this is how many I found

ScottMyers123 · Apr 30, 2016

Why would you remove them. They serve a purpose in keeping the detritus in check?

oodan · Apr 30, 2016

There is still some I'm sure I did not dump it out I did not want to kill all pods in there because it is full of them I used a fork and just got the big ones

ihavecrabs · May 1, 2016

I would leave them or put them back in if they are still alive. Great CUC and never do any harm unless you start digging your fingers in the sand!

oodan · May 1, 2016

I did not know I have never had them before they freak me out I just got rid of as many as I could I think there is a few in still I just ran a fork threw the bottom and took out the big ones I never had a refugium before so I'm learning I was told to also not disturb the bottom of the refugium do to some possible toxic crap on bottom that's what the worms are for well this is how we learn I guess

ihavecrabs · May 1, 2016

oodan said:
I did not know I have never had them before they freak me out I just got rid of as many as I could I think there is a few in still I just ran a fork threw the bottom and took out the big ones I never had a refugium before so I'm learning I was told to also not disturb the bottom of the refugium do to some possible toxic crap on bottom that's what the worms are for well this is how we learn I guess

No worries. Yeah the worms will help stir the sandbed. I can almost guarantee you didn't get them all so they will repopulate. No worries there!