what eats bristleworms?

[sargeboy]

i did some aquascaping today and as i picked up some rocks i saw at least 15 bristleworms altogether while aquascaping. i know people say they are good but i dont want them cuz they creep me out and they are not suposed to be there. so what eats bristleworms? i thought i heard sixline wrasse do.

 

[speg]

Not supposed to be there? What else is supposed to keep your rocks cleaned up on the inside?
I personally feel like you should keep them.. maybe they're 'creepy' but they're quite beneficial.

 

[sargeboy]

but they get huge and i heard they can eat coral

 

[speg]

The REALLY big ones (fire worms) may eat coral for sure... cause I've seen them do it. Regular bristleworms most likely won't unless they're unable to get food elsewhere. Can you take a pic of the ones you've got?

 

[hunt]

I vote to keep them, but it is your tank, arrow crabs eat them, so do six line wrasses. You can also build a trap with a peice of pvc pipe,pm me or write a visitor message on my wall if you want to know how,(not feeling well right now so i don't feel like posting instructions, but i will if you want)

 

[hunt]

Also bobbit worms are bad bristle worms, they can kill fish. Post a pic of the worms, it doesnt matter if there fuzzy, i only need color.

 

[hunt]

Originally Posted by Hunt
http:///forum/post/3251625
I vote to keep them, but it is your tank, arrow crabs eat them, so do six line wrasses. You can also build a trap with a peice of pvc pipe,pm me or write a visitor message on my wall if you want to know how,(not feeling well right now so i don't feel like posting instructions, but i will if you want)
to make the trap, all you got to do is take like a 5in pvc pipe, size doesnt matter, and drill a bunch of wholes big enough for the worms, then simply put a piece of shrimp in the pipe, plug both ends and put it in the tank overnight. Then the worms cral in and all you do is empty them out in the morning.
Also, i highly suggest keeping them. Great Detravores!

 

[sargeboy]

its half black and red cant post pics around one inch

 

[hunt]

http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/worms/faq...variant/medium
if this is what you have, its good.
This is a type of bad bristle worm
http://www.teara.govt.nz/files/p6887pc.jpg

 

[sargeboy]

i have the good type

 

[speg]

I don't mean to seem rude about your bristleworms.. but I just wish there was someone who told me to keep certain helpful critters when I first started.
I picked up my first rock and found a bunch of brittle stars that fell out from it.. I actually paniced a little bit because I heard that there was some 'dangerous' things in saltwater and I had never seen a brittle star before.
I'd suggest leaving the worms. If they become overcrowded to the point that they're crawling all over the place looking for food then you may want to do the pvc pipe trap. Otherwise let them hide and poke out every so often for a quick glance and let them do the job that they're very good at.
Remember that everything in saltwater has a job that it does. Although, somethings are bad for us as hobbyist, so make sure that when you find something new (and you will) you research it.

 

[sargeboy]

very good point, i will keep them and leave them cuz they can be good but i want a sixline wrasse to pick a few off hopefully so i dont have to make a trap. i mean the bristleworms only come out at night and wrasse sleep at night so yeah its not going to eat them all. ya but now i am not worried about them in there with so many people saying they are good for a tank

 

[speg]

Just don't touch one

 

[hunt]

Originally Posted by sargeboy
http:///forum/post/3251775
very good point, i will keep them and leave them cuz they can be good but i want a sixline wrasse to pick a few off hopefully so i dont have to make a trap. i mean the bristleworms only come out at night and wrasse sleep at night so yeah its not going to eat them all. ya but now i am not worried about them in there with so many people saying they are good for a tank
Be careful with a six line, i have read so many times were someone got a 6 line, it was a little angel for the first few weeks, then it goes off and starts killing other fish.
It is best to add them last so they are less likley to become the dominant fish

 

[sargeboy]

all i have now is a coral beauty angel and a green chromis.
i am hopfully getting these
2 purple firefish
1 carpenters flasher wrasse
1 midas blenny
1yellow clown goby
mated pair of skunk clowns
1 royal gramma
1 neon cleaner goby
1 yellow tang( maybe) saw a small nice one in fish store for a few weeks now real healthy

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by Speg
http:///forum/post/3251776
Just don't touch one
i pick mine out of my filter material with my fingers...and my fingers are soft as a baby's bottom...(yea, i don't have manly hands...)

 

[handbanana]

dang I wonder what I have in my thank That I thought were bristle worms? Cuz them aint them!

 

[kris5reef]

I have 2 setups at the moment as I have yet to setup my 110gal. In one of my tanks I have red and brown bristle worms stretching close to 2 feet, though I feed regularly and haven't had problems at the moment I have had problems w/ them eating/killing my corals In the past. It's very difficult because you have to know when too much is too much. It's entirely observational. Which sux... However I believe its a good idea to introduce some sort of control group, ie fish/ crab or other that will help keep levels to a minimum while maintaining your mini reef. I am planning on getting something in the near future to do this as I have seen the carnage they can leave behind. It's extremely difficult to try and keep the balance especially when you don't know what your getting in the first place.

 

[kris5reef]

Live rock has many hitchhikers, from shrimp/to worms, ceopods, etc even the occasional octopus. You never know what you will get. You can hope just to get algae, stars etc. but you can never be to sure... Let me know what you get and I can advise on unexpected hitchhiker's!