Bristle Worms Scare Me LOL

deadmanschest

deadmanschest

Member
Bristle worms scare me LOL can they cause any serious damage to a human or any damage at all. Iheard they sting is that true?
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
Most bristle worms are harmles, and good at cleaning up detrus. The Eurythoe or aquarium fire form is harmless, it can cause small stings, which I have gotten they get itchy and go away in a few days...the other brisstle worm the Hermodice carunculata or Bearded fireworm is MUCH worse. it will eat coral, zoanthids and other cnidarians. It is ver dangerous to touch, it's bristle are acutally filled with venom, unlike the aqua worm's bristles, they are only tipped with venom.
 
rbrockm1

rbrockm1

Active Member
man i picked a few big ones up out of my tank and they stung me. my tip of my figure was swollen tgeh next day
 
poniegirl

poniegirl

Active Member
Some folks can have allergic reactions to the sting, as with any toxin. It is always best to avoid handling them and glove yourself when you handle your live rock.
I have also been stung. I can only relate it to touching the branch of a acacia tree. The bristles remained in my finger and it was noticable for a week.
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
Originally Posted by PonieGirl
Some folks can have allergic reactions to the sting, as with any toxin. It is always best to avoid handling them and glove yourself when you handle your live rock.
I have also been stung. I can only relate it to touching the branch of a acacia tree. The bristles remained in my finger and it was noticable for a week.
Definately
I learned this lesson the hard way.....got stung by a carpet anemone.....until the carpet anemone, I hadn't experienced any problem with handling critters...As PonieGirl said, better safe than sorry. I wear gloves now too.
:happyfish
 
nygel

nygel

Active Member
i had one that killed 3 fish and 2 snails... then i cought it, its a rare case thoguh, it was 2 feet long in a 10 gallon..... i saw him kill a few things personally.
 
deadmanschest

deadmanschest

Member
thats what im afraid of lifting up a pice of lr and haveing like a 3 foot bristle worm coil around my arm. :scared: lol kinda paranoid
 
fishygrl

fishygrl

New Member
My friend took one out once... let it sit in a cup of water.. it lived until the water had all evaporated.. Damn thing was persistant.
I don't stick my hands in the tank.. I leave that to my dad.. I just admire.. point.. shop.... and dictate from afar.....
I'm thinking my new years resolution is to get over it and get my hands wet lol.
 
nygel

nygel

Active Member
Originally Posted by deadmanschest
thats what im afraid of lifting up a pice of lr and haveing like a 3 foot bristle worm coil around my arm. :scared: lol kinda paranoid
from my experience, they usually curl up into the rock while your touching the rock, the huge one i had was nocturnal, which, my rule is, if there is no light on, dont stick your hand in it. I rearrange my rockwork almost monthly, and i have several of these, and have never got pricked.
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
WOW.....man and I thought I had monsters in my tank. I don't think I have even seen an earth worm that big!!!!!
 
nygel

nygel

Active Member
heres mine, its very constricted and curled up alot, I wish I took a pic when I had it streched out, but i initially picked up the rock it was in a good foot out of my tank and he was still in it and still touching the sandbottom, but its not even related to the steve weast worm, his is some different type of worm.
 
bjlled

bjlled

Member
OMG now I am scared as heck to stick my hands in my tank. I had one of those brown worms in a hole on my rock when I put it in there. What the heck is it and will it hurt me?
 
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