Bristle Worms

[shels]

On one side of my overflows, their are a ton of baby feather dusters all over. But at the bottom of the over flow their alot of bristle worms. I am talking some big ones, they can not get into the tank but they are really gross. About twice a year I take the overflow pipe out and the ones on the bottom get sucked out. But there are still little Bristle Worms caught in the feather dusters
Does anyone think they will hurt anything besides being gross?
I bought one of the traps from LFS, they are to big.

 

[cboyfan2020]

i would like an answer to this too cuz I thought bristle worms were good cuz they cleaned up detritus?

 

[sammystingray]

If they are really big, and can not get into the tank...........you obviously have enough waste getting to them to enable their growth. Removing them will cause these wastes to no longer be eaten. I say leave them.....if they aren't messing up anything, and can't get into the tank.....why remove them. One question though....how big?

 

[jonathon0883]

I just started my tank and added some lr and a day later i saw one of those worms sticking its head out of my base rock.. since its in my tank will it cause problems? it was only one and my lfs said they help shift the sand and kill the deitrus (sp)

 

[sammystingray]

They eat "detritus" which is basically a form of debri. Detritus is dead organic/inorganic matter, for the most part, that falls to the bottom or lands on the rocks (such as fish poop). The worms eat anything dead or dying, and they are a VERY good member of any cleanup crew. When something is dead or dying, it gives off chemicals that the worm are quickly drawn to. Live healthy creatures do not give off the chemical, and the worms do not respond. Those with worms.....when you add a new live healthy fish, do the worms come out of everywhere? BUT, when you add frozen foods or any dead creatures....they come out of the woodwork to find the food. Bristleworms are a VERY effective cleaner for tanks.

 

[shels]

Thank You For the Resposes, I really appreciate it.
I would say 2" I have had my tank set up for 3 years and have never seem them in the tank, but if you take a flash light and look at the bottom of the over flow their is a bunch. My tank is doing wonderful, I do not want to do anything that will change it. If their is no harm with them besides them being NASTY, they can stay.

 

[agro]

2" is little. I wish I had a pic of the two footer I pulled out of my tank. It took up a good portion of the coke bottle I put it in...

 

[shels]

Are you serious?
The ones my tank are 4 or 5 months old, I tried to get them out, but they are back. I wish you would have had a pic.

 

[madd catt]

There are two in my tank that are of the gray colors not the red which i think have a more powerfull sting to them not sure.they do come out when there is something dead like a hermit crab or as stated before frozen foods and they have not gone after anything that is still alive.they are scavengers so they are good in the aquarium at least in keeping it clean.