Bristle Worm Hunting...

[seannmelly]

Tonight, when all lights were off except moonlights, I went to pick up a piece of coral that had fallen. When my hand got near it, I saw our huge bristle worm!! I went and grabbed some tongs and grabbed it!! FINALLY got that nasty thing. It's got to be 5-6" easily depending on how stretched out it is!! I'm bringing it to work tomarrow to show everyone because they didn't believe I had one that big!! Forget bristle worm traps! Tongs work just fine! I'll post pictures tomarrow before I go to work!

 

[misfit]

YUCK

Cool that you caught him though

 

[seannmelly]

It is the nastiest looking thing I've ever seen!! Alot of people on here say they're beneficial but at this size, I couldn't deal with it in my tank any longer!! You should have seen me run to the kitchen for the tongs! We've tried the bristle worm trap by Coralife but, it didn't work. And this thing was brave too! It would come out when all the lights were on, I was just too chicken to grab it. He's had his time, after everyone has seen him tomarrow he's going to be flushed unless someone wants him. lol.
Melly

 

[moby]

he's going to be flushed unless someone wants him. lol.
I've heard that is reason why there are 11 foot bristle worms in the sewers beneath NYC! :hilarious
Moby

 

[seannmelly]

lol that's a scary thought. they are freaky enough being 5" lol

 

[poniegirl]

A LFS guy said he'd buy them at a buck apiece! I thought he was insane, but now that it's a few years down the road, I totally get it. IMO they help the tank forgive you.

 

[seannmelly]

Originally Posted by PonieGirl
A LFS guy said he'd buy them at a buck apiece! I thought he was insane, but now that it's a few years down the road, I totally get it. IMO they help the tank forgive you.
We have a couple of smaller bristle worms that we barely ever see. This thing was out all the time. There was no way I was going to let this thing stay in the tank any longer then it needed to.
Oh yea, here are some pictures of it. This morning it was all scrunched up 1/4-1/2" wide 4" long. When he's fully extended he's prolly a good 7" bigger then any fish in my tank!!
Melly

 

[zman1]

By the look of the picture you're taking him fishing with you. ... Bait

 

[jcarroll]

I also thought they were supposed to be beneficial to a tank. Is it just because of the size of it that made it undesirable?

 

[seannmelly]

Originally Posted by zman1
By the look of the picture you're taking him fishing with you. ... Bait
Lol, if my boyfriend was brave enough he would! He hates it more then I do!
jcarroll, like i said before we have other smaller bristle worms in there that don't really bother me, we rarely see them. But this thing is HUGE and it has actually been in our live rock for about a year, just haven't been brave enough until last night when i get fed up with having that thing in the tank. For me this size is very undesirable and when it starts coming out during the day during feeding time to eat my fishes' food that is when I knew I had to get rid of him.
Melly

 

[dmjordan]

I have 2 in my tank (hitchhickers from LR) that are starting to come out whenever I feed. They never come out fully though but at least three inches of them come out. I can't seem to grab them yet though. They see me coming.

 

[seannmelly]

This was the first time I saw it an night actually. I kept my lights off when I caught him, I just grabbed him with a pair of tongs and threw him in a bucket. My boss who has been in the fish business for 23+ years said he's seen one as long as it, but never as fat as it! lol.
Melly

 

[firedog]

Whenever my worms see me they give me the finger and hide. I don't mind as they clean up some of the mess. Haven't seen them out in the open. Perhaps one day that lazy wrasse will get up off his six lines and eat him.
Was it Melev's reef that had the six foot worm? Maybe it was Oregon reef. He showed it stretched out on his garage floor.

 

[lion_crazz]

Meh, I have some that large. They don't bother me. The one I have in my display is a little larger than yours and it lives in the same hole as my engineer goby.
I will begin worrying if I have any of these suckers (as found in Steve Weast's reef tank).

 

[symon]

Originally Posted by lion_crazz
Meh, I have some that large. They don't bother me. The one I have in my display is a little larger than yours and it lives in the same hole as my engineer goby.
I will begin worrying if I have any of these suckers (as found in Steve Weast's reef tank).
There's is oregonreef.com has a wicked big bristle worm! YIKES

 

[seannmelly]

my bristle worm gave me goose bumps just looking at it! lol. we have some smaller ones that don't really bother me but this thing was gross!! Yea, I saw that post with the 6 foot worm :scared: that's as long as my whole tank!!
Melly

 

[mjs7775]

Our tank is now full of bristle worms. We started out with a couple very small ones. Now they have taken over, killing most of our plants, snails, clams and a sea bunny. I would say they ARE NOT beneficial to a tank, especially when they populate so quickly and easily. Traps don't work and if you are quick enough to catch them ....Great. I have found that they break themselves off if you don't get a good grip on them. We seee our a lot during feeding time, But I think they are on to us trying to get rid of them.

Does anyone have any other ideas

 

[poniegirl]

Start feeding the top of the tank and buy an exterminator.
Do you have corals?
What size tank? And how many fish?

 

[mjs7775]

We have a 46 gal. tank We had quite a few corals but they have mostly died. I think we have one healthy mushroom. Our zoos have been closed for more than a month along with some trees, I don't remember the name. I don't know what an exterminator is. I am pretty sure the worms are doing all of the damage. Our fish are healthy. We have a Blue Tang, Damsel, Rusty Angel :happyfish , And a Clownfish......