reeferdude
Member
How bad does a bristle worm sting hurt? I was cleaning one of my reef tanks and I accidentally brushed my finger across a small one hiding in some zoos. The finger hurts but only when I put pressure on it.
Bristle worm stings
- Thread starter reeferdude
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bang guy
Moderator
It depends on the species. Can you guess where Fireworms got their name?
There are two types of bristles; Calcium carbonate and Silica. The Calcium carbonate are easy to remove, just soak the affected area in vinegar and they quickly dissolve. The Silica are more difficult. A simple technique is to gently spread elmers white glue over the affected area and let it dry. Carefully peal the glue away and most of the bristles will stay with the glue.
There are two types of bristles; Calcium carbonate and Silica. The Calcium carbonate are easy to remove, just soak the affected area in vinegar and they quickly dissolve. The Silica are more difficult. A simple technique is to gently spread elmers white glue over the affected area and let it dry. Carefully peal the glue away and most of the bristles will stay with the glue.
reeferdude
Member
Thanks, these guys are a reddish pink with a dark purple stripe down the middle. They are starting to make me mad because I keep finding them in my 10 gallon reef. I don't like them and with the smaller ones I get an airline tube and start a siphon. With the larger ones I use a water change tube and start the siphon, that pretty well sucks them up if they don't get to their hole fast enough. Is it ok to just dump them into my 120 aggressive to eat detris or will that hurt my fish in there?
reeferdude
Member
I have heard that they eat coral and I have also heard that they don't and that they are great, but I always find them around my corals and I always have my hands in my tanks so to me they are bad!
These bristles are common and are a plus to reef tanks. As for the sting, I have had this happen to me. Yeah, it stings a bit, but no big deal.
The reason it hurts only when you touch is because the bristles are still embedded in you. Take a magnifying glass and take a look. I think you will see the bristles stuck in you. You can dry plucking them out.
The reason it hurts only when you touch is because the bristles are still embedded in you. Take a magnifying glass and take a look. I think you will see the bristles stuck in you. You can dry plucking them out.
bonermeister
Member
Generally (99% of the time), bristle worms are beneficial. Keep them.
bang guy
Moderator
Originally posted by caestrada
i heard that they eat the inside of the clam? anyone know?
I don't know of any that can eat a healthy clam.
My opinion on the typical scenario:
Human nature is such that we are unable to place blame on ourselves. I believe Bristle Worms get a bad rap because they are very good at cleaning up the carrion that can crash a tank.
Clams are such a creature that can look great up to the day it dies. I think a hobbiest goes to bed with a clam that isn't reacting much but still looks pretty good. During the night it finally dies of starvation and the Bristle Worms taste the dead flesh in the water and arrive at the clam in droves. Overnight they nearly or completely consume the clam flesh. The hobbiest wakes to an empty clam shell with dozens of Bristle Worms around the shell.
"It MUST have been the Bristle Worms that ate my clam".
IMO the Bristle Worms saved all of the other inhabitants from a massive Ammonia spike that could have started a really bad chain reaction of death.
Instead of being thankful the hobbiest goes on a quest to remove every last worm and later can't understand why the tank has never been quite as good as before the clam died.
Guy's view of the world
