Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > General Interest Forums > Reef Discussion
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 06/22/2010, 09:38 PM   #1
lazluvtoo
Registered Member
 
lazluvtoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Clermont, Florida
Posts: 249
Bristle Worm Problems

I have had a bristle worm problem in my 90 s/w reef tank for quite a while. However; for the most part, they didn't seem to be creating any obvious havoc so I simply take out the ones that I see come out.

Today, I loaded a pricey "cleaner pack" of various snails, crabs, starfish, etc...an hour or so later when I looked in the tank, there were dozens of bristle worms having a field day with my new crustaceans!

I immediately went to work with the tweezers and pulled out as many as I could...probably at least 15-20 maybe more.

I have been reading about them and understand there are "good" and "bad" bristle worms....how can I tell which kind are in my tank? They are not red...more like a burnt orange color. I picked up a few with my fingers (mistake!) and got stung several times.

I was told it is ok to put them in my refugium, so I have been putting them in there.

Should I continue to try to rid my tank of these pests? Or are they for the most part harmless?

Help!

Thanks so much!

Cindy


__________________
If my tank is beautiful...life is beautiful!!

Current Tank Info: 90 gl reef containing mostly mushrooms & polyps, a bubble and a leather. Tangs, green reef cromis', and a maroon clown and his carpet anemone
lazluvtoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/22/2010, 09:44 PM   #2
Fishamatank
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,017
They are generally harmless, especially the small ones.
Did you drip acclimate your new inverts? If not they may have been getting cleaned up by the bristle worms.


Fishamatank is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/22/2010, 09:48 PM   #3
lazluvtoo
Registered Member
 
lazluvtoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Clermont, Florida
Posts: 249
Yes, I did acclimate them for a couple of hours...you may be right, though, they may be feeding on the dead ones. Is it OK that when I remove the worms I put them in my refugium?


__________________
If my tank is beautiful...life is beautiful!!

Current Tank Info: 90 gl reef containing mostly mushrooms & polyps, a bubble and a leather. Tangs, green reef cromis', and a maroon clown and his carpet anemone
lazluvtoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/22/2010, 10:19 PM   #4
Fishamatank
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,017
I don't see why it would be a problem.


Fishamatank is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/22/2010, 10:49 PM   #5
expyman
Registered Member
 
expyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: niagara falls
Posts: 69
They should not pose a threat to anything.


expyman is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/22/2010, 11:20 PM   #6
King_Richard
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Pensacola FL
Posts: 235
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchworms.html

Here's a link for ya for ID's, if it hurt to touch it then it's probally a fire worm and I've been lucky enough to not have any so far but I would research them to see if they're safe or not since I'm not sure about them other then the fact that they're supposed to hurt if you touch them.


__________________
"I know where I'm going, just don't know how I'm getting there"

60g Cube>50g Sump\Cube
Algae Scrubber:) 6" DSB:) Live Rock:) Caulerpa :) and nothing else!
King_Richard is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/22/2010, 11:47 PM   #7
sanchoy
Registered Member
 
sanchoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Close to the ocean
Posts: 1,026
Bristleworms for the most part will not attack a living moving creature, unless the worm is huge and the animal is dieing and slow. Bristle worms are actually good for your tank, they will eat the uneaten food the fish/verts don't eat. Or eat the dead carcass of fish/verts you can't get to.


__________________
250 gallon.. tangs are the best.. the po po is not.

Current Tank Info: 250 reef
sanchoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/23/2010, 04:11 AM   #8
lazluvtoo
Registered Member
 
lazluvtoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Clermont, Florida
Posts: 249
Thx everyone for your feedback!

Another question: how do I tell if it is a fireworm vs a harmless one?

The stings on my fingertips still hurt this morning.

Thx!

Cindy


__________________
If my tank is beautiful...life is beautiful!!

Current Tank Info: 90 gl reef containing mostly mushrooms & polyps, a bubble and a leather. Tangs, green reef cromis', and a maroon clown and his carpet anemone
lazluvtoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/23/2010, 04:44 AM   #9
JuliusJames
ReefB4H**s
 
JuliusJames's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Hayward, CA
Posts: 623
i got stung by a fireworm once and it hurt like hell.. i also had a bristleworm problem.. my tank was infested.. so i bought a six line and it took care of it within a week (but i dont recommend buying one, you will regret it).. i also heard coral banded shrimps work


JuliusJames is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/23/2010, 04:59 PM   #10
expyman
Registered Member
 
expyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: niagara falls
Posts: 69
What's wrong with the sixline???


expyman is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/23/2010, 05:19 PM   #11
footballdude2k3
Registered Member.
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 1,974
Quote:
Originally Posted by expyman View Post
What's wrong with the sixline???
i have heard that some of them get mean.

FWIW my bristle worms are white-ish


footballdude2k3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/23/2010, 08:37 PM   #12
JuliusJames
ReefB4H**s
 
JuliusJames's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Hayward, CA
Posts: 623
Quote:
Originally Posted by expyman View Post
What's wrong with the sixline???
They get really aggressive when they mature. My six line killed roughly $400 worth of fish and he was the smallest fish I had in that time span.


JuliusJames is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/23/2010, 08:39 PM   #13
JuliusJames
ReefB4H**s
 
JuliusJames's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Hayward, CA
Posts: 623
It's sad because six lines are very beautiful and interesting fish


JuliusJames is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/23/2010, 11:31 PM   #14
mal1099
Registered Member
 
mal1099's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Everett Wa
Posts: 244
Word to the wise if playing with anything in your tank. WEAR GLOVES for your protection. There some nasty things in that tank you cannot see. I once picked up a rock and a worm was under it came around and lite me up hard. Learned the lesson the hard way.


mal1099 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/23/2010, 11:53 PM   #15
JuliusJames
ReefB4H**s
 
JuliusJames's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Hayward, CA
Posts: 623
Quote:
Originally Posted by mal1099 View Post
Word to the wise if playing with anything in your tank. WEAR GLOVES for your protection. There some nasty things in that tank you cannot see. I once picked up a rock and a worm was under it came around and lite me up hard. Learned the lesson the hard way.
Yup.. i always wear gloves when i stick my hand in my tank.. sometimes my friends laugh at me about it and i say.. trying sticking your hands in there and see what might happen


JuliusJames is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/24/2010, 12:28 AM   #16
King_Richard
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Pensacola FL
Posts: 235
Quote:
Originally Posted by JuliusJames View Post
Yup.. i always wear gloves when i stick my hand in my tank.. sometimes my friends laugh at me about it and i say.. trying sticking your hands in there and see what might happen
I use to keep a stonefish, lionfish and a harmless snowflake eel in 6ft tank and I never wore gloves going in. If the lionfish started getting to close then I would just shoe him away, he was a big guy too, about 18" long and he almost had a hard time turning around in the tank since it was 18" wide. The stone fish was safe though since it just mostly sat on the bottom. But I alway's made sure I knew where it was when I was in there.

lazluvtoo:
I don't see anything wrong with most bristleworms and I consider them benificial since they scavenge and mine mostly grab stray pieces of chaeto and try to pull it under the sand lol, it's kinda amusing.

The fireworms are usually a distinctive bright red, all red whith white legs (if I remember correctly)

But I have a scooter blenny who devoured all of my worms that were in the display tank. Just another option for ya if you want to get rid of them.


__________________
"I know where I'm going, just don't know how I'm getting there"

60g Cube>50g Sump\Cube
Algae Scrubber:) 6" DSB:) Live Rock:) Caulerpa :) and nothing else!
King_Richard is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
bristle worms

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
bristle worms problem ron86hd Reef Discussion 2 06/22/2010 03:49 PM
bristle worm problem MVALONE Upstate Reef Society 41 02/20/2007 06:22 PM
bristle worm problem scoobasteve Nano Reefs 5 02/15/2007 02:20 PM
Bristle worm problem inadaze New to the Hobby 25 08/28/2006 04:55 PM
bristle worm problem? reef-madness2 Reef Fishes 4 02/23/2006 10:57 AM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:20 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.