I need HELP!!!

[tomato clown]

I thought I was losing my mind w/ this, but after figuring out the cause behind the death of 2 damsels and reading a little here and there I do believe I know the prime suspect!

I have a monster bristle worm!
Last night I found one of my yellow fin damsels half dead and giving up. 2 days prior one of my Domino damsels contracted a film, upon coming home from work and pulling the dead carcass out of the tank I noted the head and 80% of the body missing (the skeleton was all there in tact) covered in what looked like a webbing.
Anyway just when I noticed the yellow tail last night, I promptly went looking for the others, they were all fine, I noticed the monster.

Still in the rock the section I seen was at least 4incles long and about 2-3cm in thickness.
The last time I seen this little beast

was over a year ago and the whole body was much smaller. 3inches in total length.
So I ask you...
What do I do?

The reason I ask is because I have read that larger BW's can and have been known to go after fish

 

[sepulatian]

They will eat dead or dying fish, but to my knowledge, do not go after live and healthy fish. We have had people with some monsters on here.

 

[pastor b.]

Dear hobbyist,bristle worms will not eat a healthy fish at all , but they will consume left over fish food and dead any dead fish .Bristle worms are beneficial scavengers for saltwater aquariums.

 

[perfectdark]

+1... I believe you should start with something environmental as the cause, or unhealthy fish from the get go. IMO def not a predatory bristle worm.

 

[tomato clown]

Not to be argumentitive or anything, but aren't bristleworms technically the same family as fireworms as they sting? We do use the term bristleworm for most worms we see, and w/o a picture it would be hard to ID.
All tank parms are normal to slightly high on last tests run yesterday. I do know that the typical bristle benifits the tank as a whole, but taking into account there's been nothing in the tank for well over 2 years and this thing grew massively, it does make me stop and scratch my head.
Just to review as well, the yellow tail was not dead yet it appeared the worm was (for a lack of better explanation) stalking prey.

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by Tomato Clown
http:///forum/post/2596495
Not to be argumentitive or anything, but aren't bristleworms technically the same family as fireworms as they sting? We do use the term bristleworm for most worms we see, and w/o a picture it would be hard to ID.
All tank parms are normal to slightly high on last tests run yesterday. I do know that the typical bristle benifits the tank as a whole, but taking into account there's been nothing in the tank for well over 2 years and this thing grew massively, it does make me stop and scratch my head.
Just to review as well, the yellow tail was not dead yet it appeared the worm was (for a lack of better explanation) stalking prey.
Yes but they are used for defense not for offense... as they are not considered a preditory species. They are extremly vulnerable to being prey'd upon.

 

[tomato clown]

Hmmm....
OK I'll just keep an eye on things then.
Thanks