Bristleworms Good or Bad

[JeF4y]

I found this beast last night in our new biocube 29G. We're still cycling the tank so all that's in is cured liverock & its inhabitants (which this was).

Scared the living hell out of the wife & I. I saw about 4" of it, but the arse was still in the rock, so I don't know how big it is. Should be adding corals and CUC soon.

Still not sure what to do. Wife says "Kill that god awful thing", but I have a stay of execution under the pretense that it's not necessarily a bad thing in the tank. Ugly as hell? (imho) sure. But that's no reason to send it to the garden.

Definitely buying a set of gloves now though! LOL...

 

[ReefLady]

LOL, yep, they're ugly. But that one looks pretty harmless. I'd leave it.

 

[Basile]

For me its not the uglyness i find disturbing. Its the size these sucker gets. they are repulsive, but i know they do good cleaning in the tank. But if they're too big i get them out, i know for sure they've reproduced and more are there.

 

[B12345]

My arrow crabs prevent me from getting any.

 

[rupertk14]

I found out a bristleworm was stealing the food I was feeding my serpent sea star! However, I let him be and made sure to watch my sea star eat with no problems and what ever was left over the bristleworm took care of. (Thus completing the great circle of life) or something like that

 

[dianezoo]

They also keep live rock from getting clogged up which would decrease the effectiveness of the rock as a bio filter.

 

[morrowss]

ther're a great cleanup crew...never had any problems from them

 

[brikeibur]

FRANKIE!!!

That link you posted was absolutely disgusting.... :barf:

I am going to purchase some wrasse!! ....don't they eat bristleworms and such?? (I know that one wasn't a BW, but still.....UGH!!!) I don't really want to be the death-dealer or anything...but if one of my lil fishes wants to...who am I to step in??!!

 

[jonny66680]

i was at first not happy about having them at all in my tank, they dont out right attack things the same as brittle starfish etc but if something is not happy in your tank and sending out distress signals (dying) they will certainly go to town on it.

in answer to your question about finding hermit crab legs etc.... i was supprised to catch my hermits shedding thier skins, when i first saw a skin on the sand bed i thought that one had been eaten but was supprised to find all 5 of my hermits still alive, since then ive seen loads more skins on the floor but they get hoovered up by the bristle worms and brittle starfish (which i have a fair few of in my tank)

so for the time being the worms stay, but if i ever catch one eating something it shouldnt.... well were take it from there

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

 

Start a new tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along - we love pics