How exciting

[olingerjccj]

I got all excited tonight, Im cycling my tank about 3 weeks old. Just live rock in there. But tonight I found some thin centipede looking worms crawling around. It like Christmas something alive. My nitrates are high 100 will that kill them?
thanks

 

[reefforbrains]

not bristle worms. They are dang near indestructable.
Do some reading on them. You dont want to touch them with bare hands. Ugly little buggers and people hate them, but they are good for the tank.

Congrats on finding life. Its going to go ape from here on out.

 

[olingerjccj]

Well I might not be that excited they grow to 24inches and eat everything. Anyone have these worms and do they really like to destroy or have you left them in there?
Thanks

 

[morval]

i think everyone with a tank has some bristle worms. trying to get rid of them is an uphill battle. only time ive heard of people removing them is when they find a huge one ive got tons that are up to 5" and they just eat garbage and dont bother anything

 

[geridoc]

As your tank matures you will see them less and less. Not because they disappear, but they live under rocks and in the substrate and find more food available there in a mature tank. In a new tank they are out looking for food. To a bristle worm "food" is anything that escapes from other consumers, and will pollute your tank if left to rot. Enjoy them, and all of the other critters that you will find emerging from your lr.