my star fish has worms???
- Thread starter reelemin
- Start date
flower
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by loopy101
http:///forum/post/3004788
they look like brissel worms to me as well. but i have never heard of them "hosting" a star fish!!! makes sence though less work for them to get food....
but i must say AWESOME PHOTOS!!! cant believe how clear they turned out!!
Thats because the starfish is the size of his head! It is huge! He has another post asking for ID. It is beautiful I must admit.
http:///forum/post/3004788
they look like brissel worms to me as well. but i have never heard of them "hosting" a star fish!!! makes sence though less work for them to get food....
but i must say AWESOME PHOTOS!!! cant believe how clear they turned out!!
Thats because the starfish is the size of his head! It is huge! He has another post asking for ID. It is beautiful I must admit.
yearofthenick
Active Member
I've seen bristle worms inside of anemone's before too. I ALMOST purchased a long tentacle at a hole-in-the-wall fish store and when they took the anemone out and put it in the bag, I saw two huge bristle worms checking things out.
Bristle worms don't do any good except eat leftover food. I always try and remove any and every bristle worm I ever come across. 9 times out of 10, they're bad.
Bristle worms don't do any good except eat leftover food. I always try and remove any and every bristle worm I ever come across. 9 times out of 10, they're bad.
flower
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by bigarn
http:///forum/post/3005152
9 times out of 10 they're bad? can't agree with you there ...
Those did not look like the half red and white ones that are good. They looked like the black buggers which remind me of a centipede that grow HUGE and eat coral! Somewhere on the site just yesterday some public aquarium had a 4 footer eating their coral.
They may be good for the starfish, but I don't think they would be for the tank.
In the picture they looked like the black centipede type. I do not have the best eyes so maybe not.
http:///forum/post/3005152
9 times out of 10 they're bad? can't agree with you there ...
Those did not look like the half red and white ones that are good. They looked like the black buggers which remind me of a centipede that grow HUGE and eat coral! Somewhere on the site just yesterday some public aquarium had a 4 footer eating their coral.
They may be good for the starfish, but I don't think they would be for the tank.
In the picture they looked like the black centipede type. I do not have the best eyes so maybe not.
flower
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by bigarn
http:///forum/post/3005161
I was referring to the statement that 9 outta 10 Bristleworms are bad.
That's just not true.
http://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/ne...coral-worm.htm
this story was under...UK blue Reef Aquarium finds coral killer, thread.
http:///forum/post/3005161
I was referring to the statement that 9 outta 10 Bristleworms are bad.
That's just not true.
http://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/ne...coral-worm.htm
this story was under...UK blue Reef Aquarium finds coral killer, thread.
mantisman51
Active Member
I agree with bigarn. There is little, aside from the occasional anecdote, to suggest bristle worms are dangerous. Pretty much all I ever read is "it was creepy and 2 days later my coral was dead", and my favorite, "it grabbed a fish and ate it". BTW, the link didn't work for me when I cut and pasted.
flower
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by mantisman51
http:///forum/post/3005182
I agree with bigarn. There is little, aside from the occasional anecdote, to suggest bristle worms are dangerous. Pretty much all I ever read is "it was creepy and 2 days later my coral was dead", and my favorite, "it grabbed a fish and ate it". BTW, the link didn't work for me when I cut and pasted.
try looking up the original thread..search worm or look for the Blue Reef Aquarium, just to see
http:///forum/post/3005182
I agree with bigarn. There is little, aside from the occasional anecdote, to suggest bristle worms are dangerous. Pretty much all I ever read is "it was creepy and 2 days later my coral was dead", and my favorite, "it grabbed a fish and ate it". BTW, the link didn't work for me when I cut and pasted.
try looking up the original thread..search worm or look for the Blue Reef Aquarium, just to see
yearofthenick
Active Member
I still have yet to find a bristle worm in my tank that is beneficial. At the very least, in my own experience, 9 times out of 10, bristles are bad. I just don't want them in my tank. The single fact alone that they have the ability to grow to over 4-6 feet and eat corals/fish is enough for me not to have one in my tank. That freedom to grow is something I'd need to constantly monitor, and I'd rather just spare myself the worry.
Bristle worms have toxins in their bristles, and although they're practically harmless when they're this small, that doesn't change the fact that they also have that potential to sting.
I just wouldn't keep them in there. JMO.
Bristle worms have toxins in their bristles, and although they're practically harmless when they're this small, that doesn't change the fact that they also have that potential to sting.
I just wouldn't keep them in there. JMO.
natclanwy
Active Member
It could be that this species of worm has a symbiatic relationship with the starfish or it could be a preditor to the starfish there are hundreds of species in the ocean that have unknown relationships or relationships that aren't understood. Like SPS crabs its unknown what funtion the crab provides for the corals but without the crabs the corals have a significantly higher mortality rate.
Yearofthenick:
I would say you have your numbers backwards 9 out of 10 bristleworms are benificial, there really are a small number of bristleworms found in the aquarium trade that are dangerous to corals, fish or humans.
There are thousands of different species of bristleworms, Feather dusters and Cocoa worms are types of bristle worms that are completely benign and commonly found in aquariums. Most bristleworms found in our aquariums don't get much more than a few inches long and many are less than an inch. Even the majority of the ones that get large don't eat coral or fish unless they are dead or dying. They are a very benificial part of your cleanup crew they take care of uneaten food, dead critters, and keep to the passages in your LR clean.
Yearofthenick:
I would say you have your numbers backwards 9 out of 10 bristleworms are benificial, there really are a small number of bristleworms found in the aquarium trade that are dangerous to corals, fish or humans.
There are thousands of different species of bristleworms, Feather dusters and Cocoa worms are types of bristle worms that are completely benign and commonly found in aquariums. Most bristleworms found in our aquariums don't get much more than a few inches long and many are less than an inch. Even the majority of the ones that get large don't eat coral or fish unless they are dead or dying. They are a very benificial part of your cleanup crew they take care of uneaten food, dead critters, and keep to the passages in your LR clean.
