Wanting to get a clam but have a bristle worm?

amanda46051

amanda46051

Member
I was told at the LFS that they will eat a clam from inside out. So now not only am I wondering if this is true. I am wondering how to get it out so I can have a clam. LFS guy also said that the traps dont work. Looking forward to hearing what to do....
 
55galgill

55galgill

Member
If the clam is sick, the cleanup crew will move in and devour it. Alot of the people on this board have clams and cleaner clams that are buried deep in the sand along side bristle worms. If the clam is healthy nobody will harm it. but that's my opinion, let some others chime in that actualy own clams and lets see what they say
 
ifirefight

ifirefight

Active Member
Originally Posted by amanda46051
http:///forum/post/2474896
I was told at the LFS that they will eat a clam from inside out. So now not only am I wondering if this is true. I am wondering how to get it out so I can have a clam. LFS guy also said that the traps dont work. Looking forward to hearing what to do....

First thing is dont listen to that guy from the LFS. Bristle worms WILL eat your clam......but only if it is dead or dying.
 
ifirefight

ifirefight

Active Member
I have bluelegged hermits,they have never touched any corals,I know some of the red hermits get quite large,not sure about those eating button polyps.
 
mie

mie

Active Member
It's kind of funny, The more you learn about this hobby and gain experience you will find yourself costantly hearing bad info being given to unsepecting persons. You will then more often than not find yourself correcting said knucleheads.
 
tinmanny

tinmanny

Member
as joe said I too have two clams and bristle worms and they do not bother them I also hade one die and everyone dove in on the meal g for it mine came from the grocery store I put them i a tank for a week and then put them in my sump theyare burried in the sand nd doing there job
good luck

By the way I should mention the clams at the grocery store were fresh caught and kept on ice you mustdrip them to bring the temp up I live on the coast
 
mie

mie

Active Member
If you lift all your rock off the substrate i think it would scare you to see how many and how large some of these worms are.
 
amanda46051

amanda46051

Member
Ok I have found exactly what you guys were saying on having multiple worms. I have done research on them and have found about 50/50 say they are good or bad what is the deal with these things and hows come there is a split decision on them being good or bad. Also seen a pic of someone that got stung and OUCH! I am still kinda hung on weather to keep them or not. Please help in my decision making. I have thousands of dollars in my tank and I am scared about what will happen.
 
ameno

ameno

Active Member
brisstle worms are just something that will be in your tank if you have live rock and sand, don't think you really have an option there wether to keep them or not, they will just come back. as far as being good or bad, I have seen were people try and remove some, and have heard that getting to many is a bad thing, not sure what's bad about them, other then you don't want to grab one and get stung. I have always had them, never tried to remove any except for a few fire/brisstles that I found that were pretty good size, but have never had a problem of any kind by having them.
 
husker619

husker619

New Member
After I first noticed that I had several bristle worms, I was worried that they were bad for the tank and was going to destroy my corals. I purchased a bristle worm trap that worked very well. I loaded it will dried krill and was pulling multiple worms out nightly. Once I felt that I had a stable population of worms and not an over abundance, I quit trapping them. This was 2 years ago. I now have a bigger population of worms today and I think I like what they are doing for me and help eat all the crap I dont clean up. I have watched many nights with a very dim flashlight to watch the behavior of these worms. I have never had a problem with them eating anything that wasn't dead. I am a supporter of the bristle worm!!
 
ameno

ameno

Active Member
Originally Posted by Husker619
http:///forum/post/2479307
After I first noticed that I had several bristle worms, I was worried that they were bad for the tank and was going to destroy my corals. I purchased a bristle worm trap that worked very well. I loaded it will dried krill and was pulling multiple worms out nightly. Once I felt that I had a stable population of worms and not an over abundance, I quit trapping them. This was 2 years ago. I now have a bigger population of worms today and I think I like what they are doing for me and help eat all the crap I dont clean up. I have watched many nights with a very dim flashlight to watch the behavior of these worms. I have never had a problem with them eating anything that wasn't dead. I am a supporter of the bristle worm!!
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
If bristleworms all attacked clams...
Then why would there be any clams in wild?
No one traps them out there after all and they are as common as in our tanks.
True predatory bristleworms are not all that common, and hense there is no issue keeping the clam. However lighting and other parameters may not be suitable. And a stressed clam, or dying one, will msot certainly be eaten by bristleworms, hermits, and all manner of other things (and may possibly save your tank in doing so).
Hermits are opportunistic in their diets and may possibly cause damage to corals.
 
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