Too many BristleWorms!

DracoKat · Feb 14, 2018

Hey all,

this is my 9g Eheim tank. footprint is 13.4"x13.4"
Has two clowns, and recently added 4 peppermint shrimp to battle aiptasia.
I really don't feed the clowns too much, mainly because I want to get the bristle worms under control.
I pulled one out this morning, and it was over 6" long. It freaked me out too much I couldn't hold it long enough for a pic.
I think one of them is a fireworm, it's mostly white compared to the other worms.

Anyway, this is a small portion of the tank, and you can see the disgusting critters. they're huge and long. I don't mind having them, but it's taking over the tank. There's lots more on the other side of the tank that I didn't video.

I tried the stocking method (As you can see in the video), they just crawl over it.. one is actually hiding under it.

any ideas how to bring down the population? I can't grab them with tweezers with their hiding places and I can't take the rocks out.

EmdeReef · Feb 14, 2018

If it’s a fireworm you’ll have to hunt it down as sooner or later will eat/attack livestock, snails etc. if you aren’t having suspicious deaths then probably not.

I have more bristles in my tank, recently while transferring one small rock this is what I got in a 5gal bucket. I think they’re great and they keep my sand clean considering how much I overfeed.

If you stop feeding they will die at some point. Arrow crabs will kill them but not at a fast enough rate and arrows can be nasty. My 6line kills a few I think but again not fast enough.

You have to be careful if ever adding Prazi or something like that as bristles will die and your tank could crash but otherwise they’re totally harmless though ugly.

Guess could buy some of those traps but honestly unless you do it for weeks every day won’t really lower the numbers...

DracoKat · Feb 14, 2018

I don't mind the smaller ones, they're OK in my book. but when they get too big, eugh!

I am comparing photos to the worm I saw that might be fireworm.. body wasn't red, but the bristles were thick and white compared to the others. I will have to try to find it again.

User1 · Feb 14, 2018

Food. Main way outside of a predator. My population seems to ebb and flow base on my feeding, or over feeding, habits. I personally don't mind them since they are such good scavengers and indications of my laziness.

EmdeReef · Feb 14, 2018

DracoKat said:
Hey all,

this is my 9g Eheim tank. footprint is 13.4"x13.4"
Has two clowns, and recently added 4 peppermint shrimp to battle aiptasia.
I really don't feed the clowns too much, mainly because I want to get the bristle worms under control.
I pulled one out this morning, and it was over 6" long. It freaked me out too much I couldn't hold it long enough for a pic.
I think one of them is a fireworm, it's mostly white compared to the other worms.

Anyway, this is a small portion of the tank, and you can see the disgusting critters. they're huge and long. I don't mind having them, but it's taking over the tank. There's lots more on the other side of the tank that I didn't video.

I tried the stocking method (As you can see in the video), they just crawl over it.. one is actually hiding under it.

any ideas how to bring down the population? I can't grab them with tweezers with their hiding places and I can't take the rocks out.

Agree large ones are annoying, if I have any they’re hiding thankfully.
I think your best bet are some of the larger traps to at least get rid of the big ones. You’ll probably have to do it for 2-3+ weeks daily to make a dent and reduce feeding too if you can.

Daniel@R2R · Feb 15, 2018

Get an arrow crab.

Kunkymonkel · Feb 15, 2018

I suspended my rock in a tub full of saltwater then baited the bottom. They all went for the bait and couldn’t get back to the rock.

TinyChocobo · Feb 15, 2018

Kunkymonkel said:
I suspended my rock in a tub full of saltwater then baited the bottom. They all went for the bait and couldn’t get back to the rock.

What food did you use for bait?