Ok I saw a bit on the ID me worm post but was hopeing for some more info. I cleaned my 20g last night and as I was sifting through the sand this peachy pink colored worm appeared. I sucked him up to get a better look at him. I believe its a bristle worm (my first one in 8 + years of havign tanks) he has small white hairs lining both sides of his body. Ive heard they are very bad and take them out immediately. Ive also heard they are ok. I have a fish only tank (unless you count the 1 margarita snail and 3 blue leg crabs) I let him go should I take him out if I see him again???
Need your opinion on Bristle worms
- Thread starter ravenhawk
- Start date
Some people think they're great detrivores, and mostly harmless. I pretty much leave them alone unless they're particularly large, or slow/stupid enough that I can catch them easily.
I think that once they get big some of them can be a danger to fish, and some corals. There's a very long-standing debate about this. I think with the number of different types of bristle worms it's silly to think that they're all bad or all good.
B
I think that once they get big some of them can be a danger to fish, and some corals. There's a very long-standing debate about this. I think with the number of different types of bristle worms it's silly to think that they're all bad or all good.
B
There are different kinds of bristleworms...I just found out about fireworms...and boy are they ugly. Although most people assume that fireworms are dangerous to the tank, only some species of fireworms aren't reef-safe...the bearded one in particular that I had, was a definite no-no in a tank.
As far as the average-joe bristle...I like them in my tank...I like that when I spot-feed my acans and they fall to the sandbed...that the bristles come and clean it up. It's like an automated vacuum. I've read somewhere that the largest misconception about Bristles is that people assume that once they're very large, they ARE harmful...but they say that "once a detrivore, always a detrivore"...I haven't had any personal experience regarding large bristles yet...so I wouldn't know.
However, I did notice that one of my bristles released more than just "puffs" of white smoke...it would release kind of a webbing sometimes...and these are bristles that you must take out. From what I've researched, bristles that do this are those that WILL harm your fish as they can and will web your fish down and attack it.
As far as the average-joe bristle...I like them in my tank...I like that when I spot-feed my acans and they fall to the sandbed...that the bristles come and clean it up. It's like an automated vacuum. I've read somewhere that the largest misconception about Bristles is that people assume that once they're very large, they ARE harmful...but they say that "once a detrivore, always a detrivore"...I haven't had any personal experience regarding large bristles yet...so I wouldn't know.
However, I did notice that one of my bristles released more than just "puffs" of white smoke...it would release kind of a webbing sometimes...and these are bristles that you must take out. From what I've researched, bristles that do this are those that WILL harm your fish as they can and will web your fish down and attack it.
I will definitely keep my eye out for webs but until I accidently uncovered him yesterday I didnt even know the thing was in there. Talk about freaking out. Im sifting through the sand to get some algae off my tank and out comes this fleshy colored thing about 2 inches long. My boyfriend says if you dont know what it is get rid of it but i put him back anyway. I figure wait until I know what it is then get rid of it if necessary otherwise I could be eliminating something cool or good to have. Thanks for the info. I think I will leave it be for now and if I see problems I will get rid of him later
...ok, this is definately what i have in my tank... he was under a rock and now i think disappeared back into the sand... how can i lure him out?
i have read put the rock in cold water to lure them out... will putting the LR in cold FW hurt anything? will the freshwater on the rock disturb the water when i put it back in the sw?
i have read put the rock in cold water to lure them out... will putting the LR in cold FW hurt anything? will the freshwater on the rock disturb the water when i put it back in the sw?
you can do that. I did that with some long bristle worms that were in some organ pipe of my girlfriends tank. I put them in ice water *just the pipe part* They later came out screaming onto the sand when I introduced them back into the water of the tank, hehe. From there, get your net. I bet it would have worked with hot water, but wouldn't want to burn accidently burn the pipe. Had it been LR, I would have used hot. They'll come out like a sure shot.cadeucsb said:
