Bristle Worms?

[ister98]

I've spotted a few "red & black" worms coming out of the live rocks and want to know if they are good or bad guys. So far, I've managed to picked three out of the tank since I'm assuming they are bad. Should I be concerned? Thanks in advance for your input.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/562/99006Worms_Red.jpg

[Sk8r]

very good guys. They clean the places snails can't get to. They sting, but they don't sting corals. Some can get quite alarmingly large, but they're beyond harmless: some authorities assert that acropora coral can't survive without them breaking down the food first. Yep, the pretty colored sticks thrive on worm castings.

[Alaskan Reefer]

Their population will grow and shrink with the waste content in your tank -- balancing after a few months. Beneficial critters, they'll devour a dead turbo snail or small fish in an evening and as mentioned feed corals in the process. They don't harm healthy fish or corals.

[Infern0]

So in summary....quit removing them. It's very rare that you yourself will have to remove something from your system, less you are presented with aiptasia (sp?) like myself. :(

[ister98]

Thanks for all your replies. I feel a lot better now.

[CrystalAZ]

Definitely good guys - save the bristleworms! :D

Crystal