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View Full Version : Bristleworm or Fireworm??


MantisO_o
12/10/2011, 09:54 AM
Okay, my Reef is infested with these worms and i can't tell which are they. Bristleworm or Fireworm?? I have seen Fireworms before and what i have seems much thiner but i'm not sure what these are exactly. So i took a video of them... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmYtZJ9U2BQ

If they are Bristleworms...i read and was told to keep them. I have tons of them, which too many of something must be bad, right? :(

SushiGirl
12/10/2011, 11:20 AM
Look like bristleworms to me.

J2T
12/10/2011, 11:29 AM
I'm no expert but I agree with sushigirl, they look like bristleworms to me as well. From what I know fireworms are all red in color I think.

rssjsb
12/10/2011, 11:30 AM
They look like bristles to me too. The vast majority of these worms that turn up in aquariums are harmless. You may want to post a picture of their heads, since "bad" worms have different mouth parts.

If you've got a population explosion, chances are that you're overfeeding.

MantisO_o
12/10/2011, 10:07 PM
They look like bristles to me too. The vast majority of these worms that turn up in aquariums are harmless. You may want to post a picture of their heads, since "bad" worms have different mouth parts.

If you've got a population explosion, chances are that you're overfeeding.

Thank you all :) Yeah i saw a Fireworm twice in an old system a while back. It was fat!!! Reddish to pink and fat!!. I took those out and gave it to the Mantis Shrimp...lol

I been feeding every other day to cut down on the overfeeding that i had been doing. I'm feeding a Blue Spotted Jawfish with three frozen cubes in a 55g reef (and its Zoanthids and Mushrooms dominated). So now what would be anyone suggestions? on feeding and pushing back the Bristleworm population to a decent amount?

I will try to get a mouth picture or video.

SushiGirl
12/10/2011, 10:29 PM
I feed 2 cubes once a day in a 55: 4 fish, several hermits, 4 shrimp, 3 LPS, and a ton of palys, and I'm overfeeding so I have a lot of large bristleworms. Granted my food is all gone in 5 to 8 minutes. 3 cubes for 1 fish in a 55 has got to be WAY overfeeding! Instead of feeding every other day, try 1 cube a day (or preferrably as much as he can eat in 5 minutes) for the 1 fish.

MantisO_o
12/10/2011, 10:37 PM
I feed 2 cubes once a day in a 55: 4 fish, several hermits, 4 shrimp, 3 LPS, and a ton of palys, and I'm overfeeding so I have a lot of large bristleworms. Granted my food is all gone in 5 to 8 minutes. 3 cubes for 1 fish in a 55 has got to be WAY overfeeding! Instead of feeding every other day, try 1 cube a day (or preferrably as much as he can eat in 5 minutes) for the 1 fish.

Okay, i'll try the one cube a day. Its just that i have a lot of live rock and the Jawfish doesn't always see the food exactly :(

Any ideas to down size some of the Bristleworms?

SushiGirl
12/10/2011, 11:21 PM
I spot feed my pistol shrimp (I guess that makes 5 shrimp) with a turkey baster, you could try that (buy a new one LOL). Just spot feed his area where he has his burrow. I thaw the food in a little tank water and suck it up into the baster and gently squirt it out. One of my gobies gets impatient and attacks the baster sometimes.

You can try bristleworm traps, or even a piece of pantyhose with food in it (they get their bristles caught & can't get free). Or you could just wait till they starve off. If there are any that aren't in rocks, net them out.

MantisO_o
12/10/2011, 11:29 PM
I spot feed my pistol shrimp (I guess that makes 5 shrimp) with a turkey baster, you could try that (buy a new one LOL). Just spot feed his area where he has his burrow. I thaw the food in a little tank water and suck it up into the baster and gently squirt it out. One of my gobies gets impatient and attacks the baster sometimes.

You can try bristleworm traps, or even a piece of pantyhose with food in it (they get their bristles caught & can't get free). Or you could just wait till they starve off. If there are any that aren't in rocks, net them out.

Interesting ideas! I will try those out. I was thinking of starving them but my fear was they would turn to the corals or even the jawfish, likely?

SushiGirl
12/10/2011, 11:31 PM
Regular bristleworms don't have jaws, so they can't bite. They can only suck up soft stuff (as in rotting).

MantisO_o
12/10/2011, 11:33 PM
Regular bristleworms don't have jaws, so they can't bite. They can only suck up soft stuff (as in rotting).

Ahhh! So i'll find out...if provided i can't get a photo of their mouths later. I learn something new everyday! Thank you sweetie :) I appreciate all your help :)

SushiGirl
12/10/2011, 11:53 PM
No problem.