[SomeHairyOldGuy]

YOYO! What will eat these? Are they good or bad? I have tons.
SHOG

[Reefland]

YOYO SHOG WASSUP!

These worms are very beneficial detritus and carrion eaters which migrate thoughout liverock and sand if your running a DSB. They are an excellent part of a "clean-up" crew and one with a bunch of them should be proud.

[SomeHairyOldGuy]

Originally Posted by Reefland

YOYO SHOG WASSUP!

These worms are very beneficial detritus and carrion eaters which migrate thoughout liverock and sand if your running a DSB. They are an excellent part of a "clean-up" crew and one with a bunch of them should be proud.

Well arighty then. I was a bit concerned as I can literally count hundreds of them as we speak. I am fighting a serious algea problem at the moment and have been for quite some time now. Here is a pic to make sure that this is a bristle worm.

[Ninong]

Yes, that's a picture of what is commonly called a bristleworm -- probably a member of the genus Eurythoe. Good guys!

I posted a picture of one of my 7" bristleworms in this thread: http://www.reefland.com/forum/showth...nata#post93852

[almostdiva]

Ninong,

I have a biggie (he's maybe 5 inches, not QUITE as big as yours) who looks like the twin of yours. Haven't seen him in a week or two... just is smaller pals.

SHOG --

I have LOTS in my 55G. They're pretty cool.

Rebecca

[tcobos]

A arrow crab and sixline wrasse are very good for combating bristle worms... You got to be careful with bristle worms because to many will start to munch on clams and some coral...

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by tcobos

You got to be careful with bristle worms because to many will start to munch on clams and some coral...

I think you have to be careful with statements like this without providing some information on what exact species are you talking about. Blank statement like this may be misleading other members into thinking that all of the Polychaete worms are predatory and should be hunted down and killed or eaten by something.
On the other hand, adding an arrow crab to the reef tank can have quite negative effect in itself, they may be more destructive than any other coral eating worm.

[tcobos]

I have had plenty of experience with different types of detritus eating worms... but in this case since we are talking about bristle worms I think it’s safe to say that they can become a nuisance if they propagate to unmanageable numbers... A six line wrasse or an arrow crab would be hardly detrimental to a reef system ... no more than a bristle worm... Remember- we are all speaking from our own experience within the hobby... I have seen many posts that I don’t necessarily agree with, but none that I would say need to be censored!

[zhenya]

Well, your post hasn't been sensored actually. I just stated my own opinion about your post and information within. Nothing personal was intended, BTW.

[Rokie]

Hi All!
Just joined and came upon this thread. I found one of these guys today in my tank. Some say they can be quite destructive while others say they are good, so i'm quite confused now.

[Poseidon]

Hi Rokie


No worries, I have MANY MANY, maybe in the hundreds! Good stuff, no need to try and combat them with any "traps" or anything like that. If you somehow have a worm takeover then a Pseudochromis or other biological control can be readily available.

[Reefland]

Ho Rokie,


I wouldn't worry about them being bad. As mentioned above here most would consider them a welcome addition to a reef tank. I would also bet that since you found one, you have other, which will turn into many others.

[Reefland]

Alright, you beat me to this one Mike. We need to figure out a way to show an early warning of who is replying to a thread.

[Rokie]

Thanks for the welcome and reply!

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Rokie

Hi All!
Just joined and came upon this thread. I found one of these guys today in my tank. Some say they can be quite destructive while others say they are good, so i'm quite confused now.

Notice that some people are generalizing about "bristleworms." This is impossible to do since there are some 8,000 different species of polychaete worms. The very word polychaete means many bristles, so all polychaetes can be called bristleworms, unfortunately. Obviously it would be better to specify exactly which species one is writing about but the problem with that is that very few people can identify a bristleworm down to species without removing it from the tank and carefully examining it under magnification. So people continue to make broad statements about "bristleworms" as if they are all alike. Not so. Yes, there are some that are troublesome but they are in the minority. The vast majority are beneficial scavengers.

People make statements about bristleworms "propagating to unmanageable numbers," but their populations are limited by available food resources. Their numbers will rise and fall in response to available food and predation pressures. This is true of many different populations in a reef environment.

I have quite a few bristleworms (Eurythoe complanata) in my aquarium and I have (or had) five Tridacnid clams (three expired following Hurricane Katrina). I have never had a problem with any of my clams with bristleworms. The only bristleworm problem I have is that my Orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) will eat them if he can find them. I still have dozens (probably hundreds) of them. I think they're great.

If you have a question about a particular species (or even a particular genus), then we can talk specifics. Yes, some are a threat but the vast majority are not. Saying that "bristleworms" are a threat in reef tanks is like saying that mammals are a threat. I take that back, mammals are much more likely to be a threat than bristleworms but unless you specify whether you're talking about a toy poodle or a Siberian tiger, the statement is meaningless.

[Rokie]

Well as far as I can tell it looks like the one pictured here. http://www.reefland.com/forum/attach...orms-worm.jpg?
So I will be able to sleep nights.

[Meric]

I will add, don't pick them up with your bare hand. You could get a lesson in pain you soon won't forget.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Meric

I will add, don't pick them up with your bare hand. You could get a lesson in pain you soon won't forget.

Which is how they got their other common name, FIRE WORMS!

[ReeferSD]

I have a Fridmani Pseudochromis that loves to eat the little bristleworms, i swear the little fish actually goes out and hunts them, really fun to watch. I have heard other dottybacks will eat the worms as well. It will keep there population in check. good luck.

[CSeaSee]

Not to get off on a tangent (because that never happens on Reefland ) but I thought I'd post up the link to GaryZ's bristleworm discussion that took place a couple of weeks ago.
Snail Assassin?
Check it out!
BTW, I also have a ton of polychaete bristleworms in my tank. It's interesting to see the population go up and down (seemingly inversely) with my water quality... and when I move the tank, I always find some really long ones somewhere in the rock, dangling off and totally freaking whoever is helping me out.