attack of the bristle worm!!!

[jtt]

so, as i turned on the light, i found this thing sitting on my goniopora... it was like eating away at it. i have noticed that my goniopora has been looking really bad lately... like not fully opening, some parts of it just...looking...bad.
the lfs i got my rock at claims that their rock is hitchhiker free because they have like a huge tank out in the back room with rock in it, and a front tank with rock in it. they keep the rock in the back tank for 6+ months to ensure that its cured and they also have HEAPS of those big snake like, spiny stars in it too, they say they are not reef safe because they are meat eaters, so they put them in the back tank and all the stars eat any hitchhikers that may have come along.
obviously, this bristle worm got through, and is in my tank. i was able to get it out and put it in a container, i intend to bring it to the lfs and show it to them, and demand that they give me credit for my goniopora which is now dead or dying.
my question is this, are bristle worms beneficial to a tank? i have heard people say that they love them and think they are cool in a tank, ive had others say that they would never allow for one, and if they saw it they would flush it on site. now due to the damage it caused my coral, i would have to agree with the latter HOWEVER what do you guys think?
do you like em? hate em? discuss...

 

[geoj]

I think this type is harmless to healthy animals. Feeds on most foods or carrion. Does not look like the coral eater to me.

 

[keri]

Goniopora is not a very hardy coral at all, some people have luck with it but many don't... I think your may be on it's way out and the bristleworm can't be faulted for eating the dead parts. I don't know if yours in particular is a bad bristleworm or not.
Sorry about the coral

 

[doggiepuffer]

Well, my experience has been this: If you have live Rock, you have bristleworms. However, it sucks, your lost your coral, however at least you only got a bristleworm, a very good friend of mine got a Mantis shrimp as a hitchhiker.

 

[jtt]

dude. lame. I put the little bugger in a container... he seems kinda freaked out in it, stretching back and forth like an accordion, apparently looking for some rock to hide in, doesnt like being in a smooth plastic container. i know that if i put him back in the rock, i will probably never see him again. im taking him back to the store and try to get them to give me some coral credit or something. this is just, super lame.
how do they reproduce? lay eggs? do they like, chop themselves in half like a starfish? please no smarty pants comments, im still a newbie and i dont know these things... I just hope that it didnt leave a bundle of offspring in there, or has buddies that im unaware of.
interesting though, i have been pretty poor lately, so the only fish ive got are 2 yellow clown gobies, a twin spot, and a few inverts, and now that ive taken that bristle worm out, the clown gobies are swimmin around showing themselves off, like they own the place, when before when the worm was in there, they just stayed in their burrows all day and all night, i almost never saw them. you rekon this frickin bristle worm was oppressing the other fish? doubt it, but it was just funny, they celebrated his departure from the tank.

 

[todj2002]

get a arrow crab. they eat bristle worms.

 

[cranberry]

I find those BWs act different than your pink type variety. They are quite strong and quite aggressive. I remove the blue ones when I see them out.

 

[yearofthenick]

Originally Posted by TODJ2002
http:///forum/post/2841261
get a arrow crab. they eat bristle worms.

Do not get an arrow crab... they are non-discriminatory, and might eat bristle worms, but they also tend to eat hermits and other beneficial creatures in your tank.

 

[[ronnie]]

damn how are your rocks so purple?

 

[natclanwy]

Most bristleworms are benificial to your tank, but there are probably hundreds of types and I am no expert on them so I can't help with an ID on this particular one or tell you whether it is preditory or not. What I can tell you is that I would lean towards that it was eating dying tissue from your coral the preditory types are pretty rare.

 

[anonome]

I really think you are missing the point, your bristle worm is actually a good beneficial hitchhiker that will help your tank in the long run. It feeds on plant life and leftover food to clean a tank. I haven't seen a pic of your gorgonia, but I bet that it is covered in dietrus, or algae. They don't just chose a coral to start eating without it having something there to begin with interest to them. My reef has plenty, and none are eating corals, just dead particles that are attached to them. I really think you are panicking for nothing. My two cents.

 

[cranberry]

The blue ones are not the same as the nice little pink benficial ones. They are aggressive and very strong. I don't like them at all and I remove them when I see them.... just reach in with tweezers. If I miss, I might as well kiss my chance good bye because they knowthe tweezers the next time round. Their bristles are different than the average worm as well.... sticks in very easily.