What is this...some kind of worm???

[reefle]

So I was setting up some corals today and saw this thing sticking out of my rock. I thought it was one of my brittle starfish legs, but then I realized they were on the other side of the tank.

Is this some kind of worm???

sorry pic is bad.

 

[David Shaw]

It looks like a bristle worm.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

+1 ^ good members of the cuc can get debris back in the rocks where snails can't reach - their numbers will rise & decline depending on how much you overfeed

 

[reefle]

thanks guys!

 

[David Shaw]

I prefer the word "decline" Just looking at the buggers make give me the heebie jeebies

 

[Dad]

Here is what I use to get rid of them. And yes that is a bristel worm not a good thing by far lol.
These work great.
pet solutions online has them, there called (worm trap). sorry wont let me post a link yet because I'm new

 

[Oxylebius]

That type of bristle worm is a keeper.

 

[ziggy]

So I'm cinfused if the bristle worm is a keeper or bad?

 

[Mike Johnson]

A few Bristleworms are a good thing. When they become numerous is when it is a problem. That means that you aren't a very diligent reef keeper. There will only be a population of bristleworms that can be sustained. If there isn't enough to feed the population they will actually cannibalize themselves.

 

[David Shaw]

I hate them as they give me the creeps, even if they are beneficial

I dip everything in Coral Rx before i put it into the tank to flush them out.

 

[Mayja]

I saw my skunk cleaner shrimp yank one right out of the rockwork and consume it. It was awesome! And, that's more population control. Bonus!

 

[ziggy]

I saw my skunk cleaner shrimp yank one right out of the rockwork and consume it. It was awesome! And, that's more population control. Bonus!

So would you just let the food availability be the method of controling the worm, or actually try removing them?

 

[Sean99]

Just limit how much you feed them no need to physically remove them. I used to feed my fish and coral twice a day, but than I began noticing I had way too many bristleworms, now I feed my tank every two days and I don't have so many anymore and everything is still healthy