Big Bristle Worm

[dnraiders]

hi
so today i went to go look at the few tiny baby snails that hatched. then i see a scary huge Bristle Worm wrapping around my zoos. it was coming out of a rock. it looked to be about 6 inches. that is big since i have a 24g. then i looked over the rocks and figure out that all those small ones that always stick out of the rock are the same kind. they are white and about 1/4 of an inch. i remember a while back when i was cleanin the back corner something was tickling my finger and i thought it was just my shrimp but then i saw him come out of the other corner so then i pulled out my hand and a 5 inch worm was sucking on my finger.
so what can i do about them
this is not mine but looks the same

 

[apos]

did he break the skin? Weird.
I've seen one they keep at a LFS that's three feet long, as thick as your thumb, and has the scariest looking face you've ever seen.

 

[t316]

I'd say you were very, very lucky. He must have liked you because most people get set on fire when they touch one. I'm not sure if it's a bite, sting, or what, but they will leave their bristles in your skin. They are not bad for your tank, unless they become over populated, or over sized (this one might be pushing the limit for your size tank). You can either leave him be, or sneak in there at night when he's out in the open and remove him.

 

[dnraiders]

thanks
how about all the baby ones and will they hurt any livestock?

 

[t316]

The baby ones are a lot more common, and no they won't hurt anything. One reason these babies don't usually make it to this size is because some fish eat them. Research it a little, but they are not bad for your tank.

 

[1journeyman]

Most Bristle Worms are harmless to touch and beneficial scavengers in our tanks.
A particular species, fireworms, inflict painful wounds when touched as their hairs irritate the skin.
A tiny minority of Bristles eat corals. Chances are, you are fine. As I said, beneficial scavengers. They are good indicators of tank health. Too many is a sign of overfeeding or overstocking the tank.