Bristle Worms!
- Thread starter sdascher
- Start date
hairtrigger
Active Member
Are they like earth worms? Is he still alive after being "segmented?" I have some bristles that are rather large. I wondered about them being split and surviving.
sdascher
Member
I think that these worms are like cockroches!! Its hard to kill them. This one was around 4" and yes, he was still alive, I had him in a specimen container. I thought that this one was neat because he would swim up in the water sometimes.
I have had big ones go into a rock and after removing the rock I would find them to try to get them out. Even though I may pull part of them apart..... they still live. I let the little ones alone, but they do get big!!
The bigger ones will aggravate the polups & mushrooms in my tank and they won't open up very much. Some even die (disapear) if they bother them too much so I search & destroy the really bigs ones.
I have had big ones go into a rock and after removing the rock I would find them to try to get them out. Even though I may pull part of them apart..... they still live. I let the little ones alone, but they do get big!!
The bigger ones will aggravate the polups & mushrooms in my tank and they won't open up very much. Some even die (disapear) if they bother them too much so I search & destroy the really bigs ones.
hairtrigger
Active Member
Amazing. What about the other segement? Are both still alive?
hairtrigger
Active Member
Oh, see, well, that nixes my thought about doubling my bristly population by cutting them all in half. 
Oh well, that's life. Believe it or not, they're actually really beneficial in a reef setup.
Oh well, that's life. Believe it or not, they're actually really beneficial in a reef setup.
sdascher
Member
Yes, I know that they can be benefical to the reef tank, but give it some time and those babies will more than double in your tank, thus causing some problems, especially when they get bigger!! They have in mine. I must of had hundreds in there, now I am hoping that I have cut that way down.
sdascher
Member
Melody,
I feel for ya lady!! My tank that is infested is over a year old and they are like cockroaches!! They multiply fairly fast. They are not a major problem, but I had some polyps that really looked sick after they had been open & pretty for a month or so and I read in one of my books that one of the signs of polyps not doing so well is the constant presence of bristle worms and sure enough when I when into the tank and lifted just 2 rocks where most of the polyps were, under the rocks were lots of bristle worms! I do pick them out to keep the amount in somewhat control. Now that I have removed a few huge guys and a hundred or so smaller ones, my mushrooms & polyps are open and seems to be a lot happier!! (plus with a 100 less in the tank, less chance of me getting stung by those bristles!)
I really am not 100% sure about the segmented thing, but I do know that I have pulled some out of rocks that I didn't get the whole thing and the larger piece in the rock has lived!! Weeks later when I did manage to get the bugger out, you could still see the damaged end and also see where it was healing...........
Good Luck with the Bristles!!
I feel for ya lady!! My tank that is infested is over a year old and they are like cockroaches!! They multiply fairly fast. They are not a major problem, but I had some polyps that really looked sick after they had been open & pretty for a month or so and I read in one of my books that one of the signs of polyps not doing so well is the constant presence of bristle worms and sure enough when I when into the tank and lifted just 2 rocks where most of the polyps were, under the rocks were lots of bristle worms! I do pick them out to keep the amount in somewhat control. Now that I have removed a few huge guys and a hundred or so smaller ones, my mushrooms & polyps are open and seems to be a lot happier!! (plus with a 100 less in the tank, less chance of me getting stung by those bristles!)
I really am not 100% sure about the segmented thing, but I do know that I have pulled some out of rocks that I didn't get the whole thing and the larger piece in the rock has lived!! Weeks later when I did manage to get the bugger out, you could still see the damaged end and also see where it was healing...........
Good Luck with the Bristles!!
sdascher
Member
When I first setup my very first reef tank, I didn't notice any such worms for a couple of months. I checked at night with the red lens light and spotted other critters, but not these worms. In about 6 months I suspected that I had them so I got out the ol magnafier and start checking the gravel and I spotted some baby ones right after feeding time.
I moved my reef tank from a 45g to a 125g and took out a few small 2 to 3" ones that I saw. A few months after setting that one up I spotted a BIG hunker around 7 to 8" - got him and of course the bristle worms just muliplied after that. They were always there, just not so many and I didn't see them. The only reason I started taking them out is because they were getting out of control.
If you do see any, I wouldn't panic, they are really good for mixing your gravel and eating some left over zooplankton etc. But at the same time, when you see a few of them during the day crawling around like they have no worry, chances are that you have lots & lots of them as they come out at night more often!
Check your tank out closely around 2 to 3 minutes after feeding. It will give you an idea of how many is in your tank - if any!!
I moved my reef tank from a 45g to a 125g and took out a few small 2 to 3" ones that I saw. A few months after setting that one up I spotted a BIG hunker around 7 to 8" - got him and of course the bristle worms just muliplied after that. They were always there, just not so many and I didn't see them. The only reason I started taking them out is because they were getting out of control.
If you do see any, I wouldn't panic, they are really good for mixing your gravel and eating some left over zooplankton etc. But at the same time, when you see a few of them during the day crawling around like they have no worry, chances are that you have lots & lots of them as they come out at night more often!
Check your tank out closely around 2 to 3 minutes after feeding. It will give you an idea of how many is in your tank - if any!!