bristle worms

[manger]

i've had an infestation of bristled worms for about six months now. I don't know how to get rid of them. they are nocturnal and abundant, should i worry? all of my corals seem healthy and growing.

 

[manger]

they are pink, somewhat wide and quite bristley,white bristles. in the middle of the worm it is dark.

 

[dad]

Actually, When I first started; They were known to be killers and pest. Now they are known to be good addition to reef tanks as long as they do not get too big?
Some sights even sell them!
If you still want to get rid of them, there are a few options.
You could get a arrow crab. They are very good at getting these guys but I personaly would not leave it in my tank a long time.
They can kill fish if they get the chance,

 

[daniel411]

I've never heard of even second/third-hand reports of bristle worms doing harm to an aquarium. If anything they will just scavenge left over food. Maintaing a population according to how much you're feeding/overfeeding. If theres been a sudden increase in their population, you might want to consider adjusting your feeding habits.
oh, and
Welcome to the board

 

[manger]

are arrow crabs nocturnal? can they be removed? my fish are expendible for the sake of my corals. actually i still have a damsel in there from the birth of my tank in '96. i would prefer to see it dead!

 

[dad]

Yes they can be removed. Also: The bigger the worms the bigger the crab needs to be.
If they are small worms? I would leave them. The are a great addition to your tank! IMO

 

[daniel411]

Arrow crabs are active at all times IME. They're considered reef-safe, however over time. I personally question if they may be harmful to corals as they walk on them. Yes they can be removed from an aquarium after they do their job. You may like them though, they do look cool perched up ontop of some liverock.

 

[cprdnick]

you could spend 14 bucks and buy a worm trap from you LFS or an internet site. I know this site has fish traps but I don't know if they have worm traps, since everyone on here wished that they had more bristleworms than they do. I only have two that I've seen in the past month.
Clint

 

[clarkiiboi]

Not much more to add, but I had 2 at different times and my anemone had a cheap meal both times (cant blame it though). So just a warning if you have these too. Also, I believe sixline wrasse eat bristle worms also. HTH

 

[me-n-my-fish]

If ya want to get rid of some, put a small piece of shrimp in the end of some panty hose. Take it out the next morn, it should be full of them.
But, they are good to have around, unless there is a whole bucket load of them, then i would thin them out some....

 

[blk822]

I used a baby food jar with a x cut in the top with some tuna in it..and they would crawl in at night to get the tuna and cant get out...use tuna in water only..not oil. And you have to open up the x alittle.