Need ID on a worm

[Aussie paul]

Checking my tank today and to my surprise and shock I seen this worm out in full light. Any idea's good, bad, burn whole tank I have no idea.

 

[ritter6788]

Bristle worm. Good clean up crew as long as they aren't out of hand and overpopulated.

 

[Aussie paul]

Bristle worm. Good clean up crew as long as they aren't out of hand and overpopulated.

I thought they only come out when the lights are off I have seen a few in my tank with lights off but never in full light

 

[ahiggins]

Usually yes only at night. I saw one during the day, I pulled it out of the tank so I wouldn't get stung. Flushed him!!!

 

[taintstick]

Dude get rid of that thing!! Lol they can get massive when fully stretched out. YouTube bristle worms in reef. Pull him out with tongs and throw in the toilet, don't worry, your doing all of us a favor lol

 

[saltnewb]

i have them in my tank too. this morning i watched one come out of the rock and grab a piece of pellet food and go back into the rock. it was cool. creeped out my wife a lot and she wanted me to get it out of the tank. i told her good luck and she walked away. haha!

 

[ritter6788]

I thought they only come out when the lights are off I have seen a few in my tank with lights off but never in full light

If they are comfortable enough it doesn't matter if the light is on or off. I had a fallow tank one time while QT'ing for ich and the bristle worms laid out on the rocks like they were sunbathing.

 

[Madelion33]

Dude get rid of that thing!! Lol they can get massive when fully stretched out. YouTube bristle worms in reef. Pull him out with tongs and throw in the toilet, don't worry, your doing all of us a favor lol

You sure you're not thinking of Bobbit worms?

 

[erinmegan85]

You sure you're not thinking of Bobbit worms?

I'm pretty sure that's got to be what he's thinking of. Unfortunately, there are plenty of videos on YouTube about giant bristle worms, which are, in fact, actually eunicid (bobbit) worms.

 

[taintstick]

Bobbit worms are the worst of their kind with their creepy butt mouths and all around weirdness lol!
Bristleworms are safer but still, IMO, would get rid of them. I've had one when I started my second tank and it was about 3 1/2 feet long when I pulled that sucker out...

 

[erinmegan85]

I don't know that common bristle get to be that long. I think they usually reach a foot in length. They won't harm anything that's alive and healthy. Fireworms, on the other hand, will eat things once they get big enough. If you had a three and a half foot worm in your tank then you must feed an awful lot. haha

 

[Madelion33]

So bristle worms are capable of maturing into a bobbit worm? I didn't know they were the same species... I have some pink that fade to purplish colored ones that have gotten pretty sizeable in what we've been calling our "creepy crawly" tank. Bought a beautiful L-shape 275 acrylic we've refurbished and anything live that came out of there has taught me so much. Also made me realize he had to get rid of it based on numerous pest infestations. Kind of stoked though, I'm giving serious thought to breeding berghia after my experience, so everything for a reason!

 

[erinmegan85]

They cannot mature into bobbit worm. They're two totally different kinds of worms. A bristle will always stay a bristle.

 

[Madelion33]

My bad! Today is my first day on this app and I keep jumping the gun. Totally misread your post!

 

[Madelion33]

I was thrown for a second thinking dang... I'm in trouble. I'm working with hyper oxygenated water and the growth patterns with everything seems to have Skyrocketed.

 

[erinmegan85]

No worries! I have a tough time navigating the app and I've had it for a while. haha Welcome to Reef2Reef by the way!

 

[Madelion33]

No worries! I have a tough time navigating the app and I've had it for a while. haha Welcome to Reef2Reef by the way!

Thank you! I'm stoked to have an easily accessible resource. I'm coming to find reef communities are chalk full of knowledge and nice people!

 

[jenreefer]

Thank you! I'm stoked to have an easily accessible resource. I'm coming to find reef communities are chalk full of knowledge and nice people!

Welcome to the zoo. Navigate around and you will be happy with all the good knowledge and good people you will find.

 

[Madelion33]

The reef world is so breathtaking and overwhelming, I'm 6 months in and just now feeling any mild brand of understanding for a small percentage of things.

 

[taintstick]

Welcome to R2R feller!! This is my second day using the app and trying to get a handle for things too.
EM- yea I don't know how it got to be that long either. I have never fed my tank "too much" always 2-3 times a week feedings. It was fat when shriveled up but extended clear across my peninsula tank. Btw thanks I didn't know if that was true either, bristle turning into bobbits.