Pros and Cons for Bristleworms

[costa13]

I just wanted to see what everybodies opinions on bristleworms was. If you could just say if you think they should or should not be kept and why.
Thanks in advance.

 

[hurt]

Only pros IMO. I never really understood why so many are scared of them and think they should be taken out. They are very good scavengers and part of a healthy clean up crew IMO.

 

[cjason3041]

IMO i hate them....lets just say that you are in the military and go away for 3 months and the wife overfeeds the fish because they LOOK hungry...well the bristle worms WILL overtake your tank and actually kill fish!!!.... yes this is a true story

 

[hot883]

I do not like them because they will eat the pods in the refugium too.

 

[costa13]

Thanks for all your response. I an trying to figure out if I want to try and get rid of some. I have already spotted live 5 or 6 last night.

 

[cjason3041]

IMO if you see 5 you have 10...know what i mean

 

[cjason3041]

if you want th get rid of some you can put a piece of shrimp in some pantyhose and weigh it down with a lead sinker and they will crawl into it to feed and just pull the whole thing out...oh yah tie it with fishing line but leave them an entrance

 

[hurt]

I'm sorry but I don't understand all the flak they recieve. I've had them in my DT and Fuge for 3 years now and I have never once had any problems. In fact I would bet money my reef would not be as succesful as it is without the bristleworms. Hot883, have you seen a bristleworm eat a pod?
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[cjason3041]

ok hurt....i'll agree they can be good...but come home after 3 months and see literally THOUSANDS of them...as big as earthworms and your wife is crying beacuse she is having nightmares of dying fish and worms...well you see why I don't care for them...although i do see them from time to time in my 55 and leave them...i use them as a gauge for if i am overfeeding...they get fat, i feed less...i think it is just the whole worm thing that freaks me out...i never liked to fish because i really don't like touching worms.......wow that was deep....ok o they are good for a tank...in moderation

 

[nygel]

common bristle/fire worms will not hurt fish, I've had the kind that do and the kind that don't, all different sizes, from a half an inch to two feet. I leave them, cuz I don't like killing thems, and they do clean alot of stuff up.

 

[reefnut]

I think they are GREAT for a tank... at least most of them. As said above there are a couple species that are not safe but most are. They do a good job of cleaning up.
cjason3041, I understand what you are saying but without those THOUSANDS of worms and with the tank being over feed your levels would have spiked (unless there was something else in there to take care of the excess food).
My tank is literally swarming with them. I feed my tank really well (not recommended) because I like all the hitchhikers and try to keep a heavy population of all the little critters. I have never seen any harm caused by the bristleworms.