Bristle worm info desired.

[flower]

How big is the biggest pink bristle worm anyone has seen in their tank?
How do they reproduce?
If you cut one in half...does it become two worms?

I am NOT asking about he Eunice worm AKA Bobbit worm ... Just the little pink fuzzy bristle worm that lives in live rock and eats wasted food and the dead.

 

[flower]

Nobody????

I got a 6 incher that stung my seahorse...I got that big boy out...but I can't be the only one seeing them...come on folks lets discuss the fuzzy critter

 

[zoidberg01]

There was once a light purpleish bristle and it was like 7 to 8 inches and it killed my diamond goby :-(

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by zoidberg01 http:///t/396883/bristle-worm-info-desired#post_3536127
There was once a light purpleish bristle and it was like 7 to 8 inches and it killed my diamond goby :-(

The grey colored centipede looking worm is what we call a Bobbit worm, they eat coral...but not fish.

Your fish was dead or dying, and the eaters of the dead..(all bristle worms) ate it. They are a natural CUC (clean up crew) when you have live rock, it's near impossible to go looking for a dead fish. Most fish kind of crawl into a hole to die... for lack of a better way to say it, they will begin eating before the critter is all the way dead if it's too weak to escape them. Life is cruel in the ocean. Anyway, the CUC eats the body so you won't have an ammonia spike from the decaying body.

Even the bobbit worm that was reported to be 8 foot long didn't bother any fish...just corals.

 

[zoidberg01]

It wasn't a bobbit because if you look close enough you can tell them apart . The goby was injured because he started fighting with my yellow tang and it hid in a rock and the bristle trapped him and started eating

 

[zoidberg01]

Some bristles are hermaphrodites and some of them are not but I don't know if it will survive if you cut them in half

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by zoidberg01 http:///t/396883/bristle-worm-info-desired#post_3536129
It wasn't a bobbit because if you look close enough you can tell them apart . The goby was injured because he started fighting with my yellow tang and it hid in a rock and the bristle trapped him and started eating

They are easy to tell the difference when you look at the head, can't miss those pinchers. I read what you did too...an hermaphrodite still needs a mate. I also know they will over populate if there is enough to eat, so we have to be careful to not overfeed our fish...


LOL...Trapped him no...but I know they do start eating before the poor fish is dead, it went into the rock to die in peace...the worm didn't kill it, the tang did. The goby was a goner when it went into the rock, the worm would not be able to "trap" it otherwise.

 

[saxman]

Flower,

If you go to our Hitchhiker ID Guide (http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker/hitchhiker.shtml) and scroll down to the various bristle worm pix, there's a link to a really good article by Ron Shimek in the "more info" area.

 

[zoidberg01]

I know that yellow tang is super aggressive even more aggressive than a clown or purple tang
They are easy to tell the difference when you look at the head, can't miss those pinchers. I read what you did too...an hermaphrodite still needs a mate. I also know they will over populate if there is enough to eat, so we have to be careful to not overfeed our fish...
LOL...Trapped him no...but I know they do start eating before the poor fish is dead, it went into the rock to die in peace...the worm didn't kill it, the tang did. The goby was a goner when it went into the rock, the worm would not be able to "trap" it otherwise.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by zoidberg01 http:///t/396883/bristle-worm-info-desired#post_3536148
I know that yellow tang is super aggressive even more aggressive than a clown or purple tang

Yellow tangs like their space...6 foot of it. When they are in a tank not suited, they get really mean to defend it as all their personal turf...all SW fish generally are very territorial.

 

[zoidberg01]

I know because he is a temporary guest and he gets really aggressive when he's hungry it also caused my french angel popeye

 

[zoidberg01]

Yellow tangs like their space...6 foot of it. When they are in a tank not suited, they get really mean to defend it as all their personal turf...all SW fish generally are very territorial.

 

[bang guy]

There's about 14" of this worm visible, I don't know how long it actually was. I kept it in the Clownfish grow-out tank to clean up casualties and leftover food. Worth its weight in gold.

 

[silverado61]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/396883/bristle-worm-info-desired#post_3536192
There's about 14" of this worm visible, I don't know how long it actually was. I kept it in the Clownfish grow-out tank to clean up casualties and leftover food. Worth its weight in gold.


HOLY COW! The one I accidently got from Flower is only about an inch long? Should I expect the same growth from mine? How long do they live and do I need two to reproduce? If I do need two......... Flowweerr.....

.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by silverado61 http:///t/396883/bristle-worm-info-desired#post_3536205
HOLY COW! The one I accidently got from Flower is only about an inch long? Should I expect the same growth from mine? How long do they live and do I need two to reproduce? If I do need two......... Flowweerr.....

.

LOL...They are the good guys, and a very needed part of the CUC. The eaters of the dead prevent you having to clear your tanks rock to find a missing critter before it pollutes the tank. All tanks that have live rock have at least 1 bristle worm in it, they will reproduce as the food source allows them to. There are critters that eat them, if there are too many as a result of having too much of a food source. Like all living sea critters, the longer it lives, the bigger it grows...but most of these sea critters have a short life span.

Could you imagine how much ammonia would be created with so much food rotting that the fish miss and don't eat, deep in the rock work? Your bristle worms keep your tiny ecosystem from crashing. I see people go from over feeding their fish to starving them for days to prevent pollution. Snails clean off algae, but we need the meat eaters (some snails are) too. A good balance of algae and meat eaters will make a good CUC and a happy tank.

People like myself with seahorses need to be concerned because seahorses hitch to everything, and could be stung, I have already lost 1 from that. They don't bother healthy fish or corals....they eat the dead or dying.

 

[silverado61]

 
HOLY COW! The one I accidently got from Flower is only about an inch long? Should I expect the same growth from mine? How long do they live and do I need two to reproduce? If I do need two......... Flowweerr..... )): .
LOL...They are the good guys, and a very needed part of the CUC. The eaters of the dead prevent you having to clear your tanks rock to find a missing critter before it pollutes the tank. All tanks that have live rock have at least 1 bristle worm in it, they will reproduce as the food source allows them to. There are critters that eat them, if there are too many as a result of having too much of a food source. Like all living sea critters, the longer it lives, the bigger it grows...but most of these sea critters have a short life span.
Could you imagine how much ammonia would be created with so much food rotting that the fish miss and don't eat, deep in the rock work? Your bristle worms keep your tiny ecosystem from crashing. I see people go from over feeding their fish to starving them for days to prevent pollution. Snails clean off algae, but we need the meat eaters (some snails are) too. A good balance of algae and meat eaters will make a good CUC and a happy tank.
People like myself with seahorses need to be concerned because seahorses hitch to everything, and could be stung, I have already lost 1 from that. They don't bother healthy fish or corals....they eat the dead or dying.
Well any time you want to get rid of any to protect your seahorses let me know. Maybe when I help you with your next water change. Lol

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by silverado61 http:///t/396883/bristle-worm-info-desired#post_3536244
Well any time you want to get rid of any to protect your seahorses let me know. Maybe when I help you with your next water change. Lol

UGGG...You just reminded me....I need to get that change water set up. I caught a 4 incher the other day (with my pinchers), and tossed it in the trash. I have so many because the horses waste so much food, my shrimp are so fat they can hardly move.