Bristle worms... hitchhikers

[brycewood]

So I purchased a camel shrimp last night. Acclimated. Set him in, of course he was skittish.
Well eventually lights out, then this morning I look at the tank.
The biggest Aiptasia I had lost all his tentacles that were over 1/4" and is all dark is not healthy looking. I know there has been back and forth about whether peppermint shrimps attack them, but I know my camel did. So that's one success story.
But now to the bristle worms, I know some are good and some are bad. Does anyone have a good resource to determine which is which. I have little ones that alternatve orange than black the length of their body. I want to know if I need to start managing these buggers or if I should not worry about them.
Thanks,
B

 

[snipe]

Little worms are good. Brislte worsm grow to excess of 9 feet (big ones eat things). Watch the camel they may eat things as well.

 

[brycewood]

I had heard that some bristles are trouble and just wanted to see if there was a way to identify problem ones.
As far as the camel shrimp, I know they like to munch lots, but I have a serious infestation of aiptaisa, so I think he's my only option to really ride myself of them.

 

[mudplayerx]

I would only worry about a bristleworm if it grew over a foot in length. Anything less and it is going to eat detritus. I agree with Snipe on the camel shrimp. I had four of them awhile back, and while I never saw them eat any of my corals, the stress that it caused me everyday was not worth it. I took them back.
Here is a pic of the shrimp waitin to go back to the store lol.

 

[bigarn]

I believe only 1 in 10,000 species of bristleworms are harmful to a reef system. I've never heard of a 9 foot long bristleworm. :scared:

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by bigarn
I believe only 1 in 10,000 species of bristleworms are harmful to a reef system. I've never heard of a 9 foot long bristleworm. :scared:

They used to have a thread on the reef board where one guy found a bristleworm in his plumbing. I think the thing was OVER 9 feet long :scared:

 

[bigarn]

Originally Posted by mudplayerx
They used to have a thread on the reef board where one guy found a bristleworm in his plumbing. I think the thing was OVER 9 feet long :scared:
Yep ... Steve Weast's tank. I could be wrong but I don't think it was a Bristleworm. Come on "old timers" help out here!

 

[drew2005]

It was a bristle worm around 7 feet long and 3/4' in diameter which was living in his pvc piping. It filled the diameter of the pipe.

Now thats big.

 

[bigarn]

Just checked .... it was a Pacific Eunicid worm. Is that a species of Bristleworm? :thinking:

 

[snipe]

Not for sure but in the very long post. It talkes about finding them in the ocean around the 9 foot mark.

 

[mudplayerx]

That makes my skin crawl.

 

[snipe]

Want something to make your skin crawl!! Try putting your hand in the tank and have a sally lightfoot crab attack you. Well not really attack but grab ahold of you with his legs because he is used to you feeding him. That will freak ya out lol.

 

[mudplayerx]

Those nasty little crabs looks way too much like spiders for my liking. Very gross!

 

[bret61081]

http://www.oregonreef.com
Go there and u can read his story!

 

[snipe]

http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm
Direct link pretty wierd stuff lol.
And he dose look like a spider (there alright as long as there not on me lol). But I like them enough im getting 2 more lol.

 

[mudplayerx]

That worm made me throw up a little in my mouth. lol j/k