Sand tunnels ?????????

[DIAZ REEF]

Can someone let me know
A- what this is
B- is it safe
C- if not how do I get rid of it ?
some sort of bug making tunnels in the sand bed

 

[Zach B]

I've seen bristle worms in sand beds make tunnels like that

 

[DIAZ REEF]

I've seen bristle worms in sand beds make tunnels like that

Are these bristle worms bad for my tank?

 

[Rednamalas]

Bristle worms usually pose no threat, to me they're just free clean-up crew!

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

Bristle worms aren't bad unless you overfeed and they get out of control. They can cause irritation to some corals, but usually stay out of sight.

 

[DIAZ REEF]

Bristle worms aren't bad unless you overfeed and they get out of control. They can cause irritation to some corals, but usually stay out of sight.

Do you think I should remove it just in case ?

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

Do you think I should remove it just in case ?

If you see one, there are probably a dozen others. I gave up getting them out of my tank a long time ago and haven't had any problems. You can look up worms traps if you really want it out. The safest thing for me was watching how much I feed. If I see the worms out during light hours, it's a pretty good indication of overfeeding IMO.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Bristleworms are Not welcome in any of my tanks but cinsideeed harmless unless you grab them by hand in which you will feel pain that’s indescribable
They eat detritus and uneaten food often leaving the tracks you see

 

[DIAZ REEF]

Bristleworms are Not welcome in any of my tanks but cinsideeed harmless unless you grab them by hand in which you will feel pain that’s indescribable
They eat detritus and uneaten food often leaving the tracks you see

How would you remove them?

 

[Roytrolls247]

Bristol Worms for sure

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

You can try a predator like a melanurus wrasse or arrow crab. Otherwise you can make a trap, but there's mixed results.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I use aquarium tongs or you can trap them with a trap made with soda bottle

 

[Maritimer]

I wouldn't call the annoyance from a bristleworm "indescribable", though it may be that for some folks.

For me, they're very much like the old-school fiberglass insulation. Persistently irritating, but fades in a day or three.

They're pretty decent cleaner-uppers, but if they're overfed, can reach populations that would best be described as nightmare-fuel.

I have a leopard wrasse and a red-lined wrasse, so they're a rare sight in my tank.

Keep in mind that there are several other types of worms that might burrow in your sand - all but two are much less trouble than bristles. (Those two would be fireworms and Bobbit worms. The latter, especially, is more nightmare-fuel.)

~B.