HELP! Bristleworms taking over!

[Nigritude]

Saw a HUGE bristleworm, around 7-8cm long and then today I went fishing, looking underneath rocks, pulled out 4 of them. :( I dont know what to do, can I take the rocks out and wash them or something? I also see small white coils on the inside side of the glass (baby bristleworms?) I read about building traps, anybody here ever tried it?

[Nigritude]

Its the thing on the top left.

Here the ones that I pulled out.

[Nigritude]

I also dont know what these are:

[Nigritude]

Another one...

[MrKrispy]

what's the problem?

[Nigritude]

Bristleworms? :p One too many in the tank.

[Dannyboy]

Bristleworms wont hurt anything in the tank. In fact they are a good part of your cleanup crew.

[Nigritude]

http://www.netpets.org/fish/reference/reefref/bristle.html

reading that article did not make me feel good.

[Dannyboy]

hahaha that article is a load of crap. The brisleworms crawl under my anemones to get to detritus. They have never touched a single coral and believe me I have some big one's. They just get blamed for the death of animals and corals cause they are the first on the scene to clean it up. I wouldn't worry about them at all. I have read crap articles like that in the past too and got al scared. Just watch them for yourself and see what they do. BTW to make you feel a little better, you'll never get rid of them all:p

[Dannyboy]

If you really want to you can get an arrow crab or a pseudochromis to keep them under control. Hell even my cleaner and peppermint shrimp will pick one off here and there. I have heard they can kill clams though.:( Thats too bad cause I kinda like them

[Nigritude]

Heh, one positive feedback to the gazillion negative one :p

What about the pink stuff on the rock? I thought it was a flat worm, but its not moving luckily.

[JeromeBaker]

the only negative I have heard is mostly from newbies. Most experienced aquarists claim them to be beneficial.

[Nigritude]

Because most things die in a newbies tank? Heh.

Thanks guys. Guess I'll dispose off the one I pulled out and leave the rest alone.

But...what about the pink stuff?

[Dannyboy]

But...what about the pink stuff?
Just looks like small sponges to me.

[Nigritude]

Mucho gracias. Now I can stop sounding stupid and paranoid :D

[MrKrispy]

Most of the reading I have done re: clams and bristleworms is the same as most other bristleworm articles (as opposed to bristleworm noob posts) : that they are just scavengers and the affected livestock was already dying. A 6 foot bristleworm in a small tank, THAT I would be worried about!



Pink is good (!), I wouldn't worry about that either.

[Dannyboy]

Thats good to know. I've actually been holding off buying a clam since I wasn't sure if that was true or not. Cool thanks Krispy. I might just hit up Barry soon:)

[ricestudios]

i hate Bristleworms! i hate any hitchhikers!

[Nigritude]

mmm colors


this is fun


sorry! :D

[ricestudios]

ive got a 9 incher in my tank. i call it the monster of the tank. freaks me out sometimes when i look at my tank at night. does it just give you the chills? hah

[Nigritude]

crickey mate.

loved your tank(s) btw. :D

the kenya's seems to be doing alright.

[MrKrispy]

Originally posted by ricestudios
i hate Bristleworms! i hate any hitchhikers!

bah, they are what makes Reefs cool! (not that I want to find a mantis shrimp....)

[Nigritude]

mantis shrimp? :eek: