bristleworm HELP!

[cust11]

So tonight while I was target feeding some of my corals I noticed a bristleworm sticking his head out from behind a rock. I totally disregarded him until I realized that he was almost as thick as a #2 pencil. I dont mind bristleworms but he was too big! I sorta panicked to remove him. I was unsure of where my tweezers were but I did have my syringe in my hand(target feeding). Without thinking I grabbed the syringe cap(which also had the actual sharp end locked in it), twisted it on the base and skewered the bristleworm. While I was raising him up to remove him from the tank and drop him in a glass.. He expelled some red liquid from his mouth. This liquid had similar consistency of "joe's juice". Could someone please chime in and tell me exactly what that red liquid was!!! I have my fingers crossed that he didn't "defense nuke" my tank like a cucumber.
I quickly turned back on my skimmer and filters and added some more carbon to the sump. My skunk shrimp ran over to the red excrement but didn't seem to mind it. The only 2 things I can think of are
#1 Defense nuke
#2 spores
Both which are bad. So again, someone please chime in and tell me what just happened so I can take appropriate measures if needed.
Thanks
-Mike

 

[t316]

Probably just a defense mechanism or either bodily fluids from where you impaled him. Either way....good job getting him out of there

I have never heard of a bristle worm secreting harmful poisons, so I think you are okay.
Got any pics of him?

 

[cust11]

No pics sorry

I was too worried to get him out of there and into the porcelain freshwater heaven. He was approx the diameter of a #2 pencil and was about 4in long. Glad to hear that it shouldn't be detrimental to my corals and fish.
Thanks for the fast reply!
-Mike

 

[t316]

I wouldn't worry about the stuff he let loose. And for the record, bristle worms are not all that bad for the tank. They clean up all the crap left over in the tank. But I agree with your decision... when they get that big, they just creep me out and need to go....

 

[cust11]

Exactly! I don't mind the few small ones I see running around after the lights go out. Like you said though, the big ones creep me out! My six line keeps the smaller ones in check but I don't think he would have been able to overtake that mammoth. Thanks again for the reassuring words.
-Mike

 

[pezenfuego]

I remember seeing a thread on another forum with one that was like 5 feet long. EEEEEW!!!! Disgusting! Correct me if I'm wrong, but (although rare in aquariums) some are very bad. I like the freshwater porcelain heaven thing lol. Don't feel bad. I just unnecessarily ripped some harmless mussles in half lol. Not because I'm evil, but because I thought they were harmful

And then I came to my senses.