More worms!!!

[Z06-Hec]

So as I have posted a few times.. I have bristle worms out the wazoo... anyway they do amazing at cleanup, clean the sand daily, if anything is weak or dead they get rid of it the same day no trace of it unless a shell is left behind.
I saw the opportunity to catch a few tonight. Saw 1 piece of rock covered with them, put a glove on took the rock out and boom.... here you go.

 

[143MPCo]

wow, that's a bit of an infestation IMO.
I know they are great members of the clean up crew but gezz!

assuming the entire DT is like that one rock, or worse?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

That goes past the point of being beneficial, IMO. I love my critters, but too much of anything isn't desirable. They're a bioload in and of itself.

 

[Z06-Hec]

the other day i managed to get a small one out, threw it back in the tank by my Melanarus, floated by, the wrasse tasted it and spit it right out....
:mad:

 

[Z06-Hec]

Just saw question above ... Yes the DT at night is over run with them...
I have 3 wrasse, 1 of which is about 5 inches and he does nothing to them from what i ever see, but he is always hiding in the sand, so i do not know if while in the sand he does eat them.....
Anyway the other day I finally witnessed someone eating them... My porcelain anemone crab had one in its claws ripping it in half and chowing down. I was so hyped to see that finally!
Only issue is i know the crab does not leave the carpet nem so he will only eat what is in his reach...

 

[Naiad]

Few questions. What is your current list of live stock and how often do you feed? I too love my worms but this could be trouble at that density if something happens and these guys start to die.

 

[Z06-Hec]

150 gallon, 6 foot long
1 blue face angel adult
1 majestic angel adult
1 Large purple tang
1 med yellow tang
1 sm-med hippo tang
3 clowns
2 small wrasse
1 large wrasse
1 chromis
1 watchman gobie

I feed a lot to keep those angels from nipping at corals, and thats why the worms take over at night, cleanup time.

 

[Naiad]

Yep. I thought you might have something in your system that needed frequently fed. I had wrasse that needed 3 to 4 feedings a day and I got monster worms. My yellow coris wrasse would eat the little ones though so the population never boomed too bad. The only downside is that there is enough worm biomass in your tank to effect things. As long as your aware of that though

 

[Z06-Hec]

I never see my yellow or six line touch the worms... the large melanarus tasted one and spit it right out... i was ticked.
But again i dont know what they do in the sand...

 

[Naiad]

I never see my yellow or six line touch the worms... the large melanarus tasted one and spit it right out... i was ******.
But again i dont know what they do in the sand...

Your wrasse are probably too spoiled by all the foods you give lol. They do spit them out several times to get rid of the bristles before eating them though.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Those are rather "meaty" for some fish as well.

 

[Z06-Hec]

BOOOOOOM
Success !!!!
So i've tried wrasses, Yellow, Six line, Melanarus... Dont work...
I bought some coral banded shrimp and i never saw them touch one... They may have been helping but couldnt really tell because I never witnessed it happening.... I most definitely would see them walk right by them and ignore them...
Anyway my newest addition to the tank...
I purchased a Spiny Blue Lobster... not with the impression of eating the worms. I was told hes reef safe and only eats algae and scraps on the floor.
Yeah well he Decimated my worm population..
Other day im looking in tank at night and said... Babe have you noticed any worms? i cant see any!
Usually when lights are out, these things are everywhere... that pic above does no justice to the infestation that would come out at night...
So this morning before leaving for work, 6am, still dark out and inside the house... i shine a light and see him picking the worm out of the rock and going in...
BOOOOM