help with bristal worms

[david t.]

I have a friend who has a 45 gal. tank with about 25 lbs. of lr it has been set up for about 4 yrs. he only has a pair of clowns and a damsel. but as i was looking at it he also has about 300 bristal worms they are every where. what is the best way to get rid of them. He also has this stuff growing that looks like white grass. Does anybody know what it might be. its not fine like alge but clear and white with about 3 or 4 sprouts growing up in each bunch.

 

[scottbythesea]

I know this much don't touch 'em.Physically very painful experience for a week or more look up marine worms on a search engine and learn more ,lots of info out there.

 

[puffygrrl]

First, try getting them out by hand (or should I say tweezers). After that, start putting in bristle worm traps - I'd say as many as you can fit without disturbing the tank. Although most of the time Bristle Worms are good, when they get too bg or too many they can start to cause problems...especially when they get hungry! Good Luck!

 

[lesleybird]

One does not need to get rid of brissle worms as they help to stir and clean the sand. If the population is out of control and too many, a sixline wrasse will help to control the population. I have also seen peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp eat small brissle worms. Just don't touch them with your bare hands....I hear that they sting. Lesley

 

[mysticgal22]

Yes they do sting!! The lady I bought my tank from is allergic to them and spent 6 hours in the er. It hurts!!

 

[aarone]

here read this, very informative.
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/...99/polych.html

 

[bang guy]

Great link Aarone
Right now the 300+ Bristle Worms are consuming detritus and the leftover fish food. If your friend wasn't overfeeding then the population could not have reached that number. I see nothing wrong with that many in an overfed tank.
Here's a question - If your friend happens to remove 250 of these worms then what is going to eat the excess food?
Answer - It will rot & foul the tank causing an ammonia spike and make the fish ill.
There's an enormous variety of Bristle worms. One constant is that their diet doesn't change once they mature from the larval stage. The coral eater will always eat coral. The fish predators will always be predators. Lucky for us 99+% are detritus/carrion munchers. They will stay that way regardles of size. A 2 foot carrion muncher is not going to be able to injure a fish except possibly with it's spines.

 

[david t.]

thanks for the info, and also a verry good link.