Bristole Worm Help...

HEREFISHYFISHYF

HEREFISHYFISHYF

Member
I have a growing population of Bristole worms that is getting a bit out of hand. One is actually what I have gathered to be close to a foot long :bouncebox ... freaky lookin thing.

Last night I realized that one of my softies was pulled right up to the live rock where it is normally out in the middle of the sand. I pulled the coral back and there he was, a monster.. eating my coral.:doh:

This is a no no and he will now pay with his life.

What is the best way to remove or catch them? I don't want to use tongues so what option do I have?

Take a look at this dude....

IMG_04121.jpg
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Their growth and population is in direct proportion to available food. The more food the more they reproduce and the bigger they will get. Less food less worms (in every aspect).

Keep in mind that odds are the Bristle Worm was NOT killing that coral. Take for instance when you're driving down the highway and see a deer that's been hit by a car but a buzzard is "cleaning up" the waste. Do you assume the buzzard killed the deer simply because it's eating the left-overs?

Cut back on feeding and their population will fall accordingly and the larger ones will usually starve to death after they devour the smaller ones.
 
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David Shaw

Well-Known Member
OMG that is horror film stuff, a foot long! I would freak :chomp:

You must definitely be overfeeding your tank, as reports suggest the population reduces itself when you don't overfeed and they die back.

I know there are traps you can buy to catch them and also some varieties of wrasses and also arrow head crabs eat them. I hear good reports from putting an arrow head crab into the tank as they gobble them up.

As you managed to photo the large one, why didn't you just skewer and get it out that way?

I personally would go drastic and strip the tank down and dip the rock to flush them all, along with syphoning the substrate, but i am OCD in that Dept.

I never put anything into my tank i didn't R/O freshwater dip 1st.

Am sue others will make better suggestions than i can offer though.
 
HEREFISHYFISHYF

HEREFISHYFISHYF

Member
See thats the thing... I have been going at the starvation route for several weeks now, and then I see this guy chomping down on a coral. I am certain that this coral was healthy (still is healthy minus the chunk he was eating) and about 9 inches away from where it has been for over 6 months now. This worm pulled the coral and its base rock several inches so he could sit in his rock and pig out. I cant rely on the starvation route anymore, I can only imagine that they have made short work of my pods. Whn I say there are several in the tank I would feel comfortable saying there are 20 or more. What other options do I have aside from starvation?

Thanks for the help!!
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
:LOL: David I knew sooner or later you'd come to this thread :D You're Anti-Worm rap is known across the globe now LOL!

If you want to trap them to help reduce their population WHILE you address the other aspects that's fine but merely trying to trap them to control them wont work. They will populate in direct proportion to the food available.
 
HEREFISHYFISHYF

HEREFISHYFISHYF

Member
I wanted to skewer that thing on the spot but I was running late for work as it was, even had cologne on the wrist and didn't want to dip my hand in the tank.

The thought of this guy gives me the heebie jeebies.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
When I feed my 12g tank ( 2x- 3x a week and only a pinch of shrimp then) I can easily count 12 or more. Been that way for 3 years THIS month.. I just now realized she turns 3 years old THIS MONTH! :)
 
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David Shaw

Well-Known Member
LOL Al, i so didnt want to click to view the link but i just had to!

Then i saw the foot long monster and had to go for a lie down :guns:
 
wonderloss

wonderloss

Member
I have no experience with trying to trap them myself. However, I have heard of people putting shrimp or some other type of food in a stocking and suspending that in the tank at night. The bristleworms will crawl onto the stocking to get to the food, and you can pull out the stocking to remove the worms.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
David Shaw said:
LOL Al, i so didnt want to click to view the link but i just had to!

Then i saw the foot long monster and had to go for a lie down :guns:
Click to expand...

David you know good and well you will not sleep for DAYS ON END now after seeing that one :LOL: Truth be known you're probably looking into your tank for one right now just waiting to do a total tear-down just in case :D
 
HEREFISHYFISHYF

HEREFISHYFISHYF

Member
This tank only has 2 clowns in it so I could cut feedings back drastically and I suppose I will start that today.
I think tonight I will tear this thing apart tonight and do a thorough dip.
Thanks for the help guys!
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
+1 - They will populate in direct proportion to the food available.

Most all tanks have them... Bristleworms are harmless and very beneficial scavengers in an aquarium.
 
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David Shaw

Well-Known Member
I soooooooooo would too Al.

One worm and the tank contents will be on my living room floor again!

I check every night, and dread seeing one, luckily none so far.

There is deffo a market supplying guaranteed worm and critter free live rock - ohhhhhhh there's an idea !!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$ ker ching!
 
HEREFISHYFISHYF

HEREFISHYFISHYF

Member
David - sleep well :fishy:

I will post pics of all my catchings and get some measurements. Im going to stop off at the store and grab thicker gloves just incase.

Man.. I'm freaked out right now and I'm no where near this thing.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
I woke up one night and found one in the kitchen making a PB&J sandwich! I tossed one of the wife's stockings around it and pushed it back into the tank and ate it's PB&J sandwich!
 
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