bristle worm traps

[angelspot]

do they work? I saw a medium size one in my tank i think it's eating my peppermint shrimp.

 

[27mtaylor]

I made one out of a coke bottle and it caught a few small ones.

 

[bonebrake]

In most instances bristle worms are beneficial. You should only get rid of them if you see them eating a living creature. Eating things that are already dead is their job. Your peppermint shrimp may have already been dead and your bristle worm was falsely accused.
:joy:

 

[hkdonreefs]

Bristle worms are good I have a bunch of huge ones in my 20. They are great scavengers. Fire worms are what you need to wory about.

 

[lockemup]

If they make you uncomfortable having them in there, try an arrow crab. I believe they eat bristle worms.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Bristle worms are beneficial to your tank. They dig through and eat detrius where inverts can't get to, and are a food source for many shrimp and even some fish.
They only cause probllems if they get really large, start munching on some soft corals, or decide to get into plumbing.
I have seen my CBS eat away at one at night...pretty cool!

 

[clown52]

Are you sure it wasn't eating a dead shrimp? Or a molt? I have had several 6 inch + and they never bothered anything. They just stole pellets from the hermit crabs!

 

[lyza]

We use bristle worm traps and they work great, we bait them with frozen brine shrimp (make sure you pack the little cavity tight with shrimp or it will float out. Just make sure you empty the worms from the traps before they escape when the bait is all gone. They are smart.

 

[firedog]

My pistol shrimp seems to have bought it from a bristle worm. I saw the bristles sticking out of him. I also felt them when I picked him up. Actually I felt them before I saw them. I am not happy.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by Firedog
My pistol shrimp seems to have bought it from a bristle worm. I saw the bristles sticking out of him. I also felt them when I picked him up. Actually I felt them before I saw them. I am not happy.

Bristle worms don't attack anything except detrius.
The pistol shrimp was most likely dead, and you saw what they worms were meant to do...break down large organics into small organics. Much like the maggots in a dead animal.
Also, are you sure it wasn't a molt?

 

[firedog]

Well I am sure it wasn't a molt. But it is possible that it was already dead. But I didn't actually see the worm eating the shrimp, I just saw bristles sticking out of its face and antennae. But I don't care, I want that worm out. He isn't even paying rent. I also think he stole the pistol from my shrimp, so I hope he isn't robbing anyone or doing crawl-by shootings.