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Med to kill off bristleworms?

JVU

JVU

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Do you guys know of any treatments in our hobby that will kill off bristleworms?

My ask is for a very specific use- I have Aiptasia-only tanks for propagating Aiptasia to feed my Berghia (which are in separate tanks). My goal for these tanks is for them to have Aiptasia, beneficial bacterial population, and that’s it. One of them has bristleworms now, which makes harvesting the Aiptasia more difficult. I’d like to be able to add something that will kill off the bristleworms but not the Aiptasia or the beneficial bacteria. And where a trace residual left over after a 100% water change won’t hurt the Berghia I’m feeding.

Online I’ve read PraziPro kills bristleworms, also some saying it doesn’t. I asked Hikari and they say it doesn’t but didn’t elaborate. I’m still thinking of trying though since I have it on hand. Any experiences?

I know about using traps, manual removal, that they are good detrivores, etc. Any other ideas for killing them with something I can add?
 
Not sure if you could take the aiptasia out for the most part? That would make it easier? I guess the bacteria part could make it harder.
 
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JVU said:
Do you guys know of any treatments in our hobby that will kill off bristleworms?

My ask is for a very specific use- I have Aiptasia-only tanks for propagating Aiptasia to feed my Berghia (which are in separate tanks). My goal for these tanks is for them to have Aiptasia, beneficial bacterial population, and that’s it. One of them has bristleworms now, which makes harvesting the Aiptasia more difficult. I’d like to be able to add something that will kill off the bristleworms but not the Aiptasia or the beneficial bacteria. And where a trace residual left over after a 100% water change won’t hurt the Berghia I’m feeding.

Online I’ve read PraziPro kills bristleworms, also some saying it doesn’t. I asked Hikari and they say it doesn’t but didn’t elaborate. I’m still thinking of trying though since I have it on hand. Any experiences?

I know about using traps, manual removal, that they are good detrivores, etc. Any other ideas for killing them with something I can add?
Click to expand...
Prazi at a therapeutic fish treatment level didn't affect my bristleworms. I wonder whether a biological control might work - some anecdotal reports out there of arrow crabs eating bristleworms.
 
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Wonder if a de-wormer like ivermectin would kill bristleworms? It shouldn’t have anti bacterial activity, and you should be able to strip it out of the water with carbon if needed.
 
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CaseyP said:
They certainly do! Don't know if they'd be able to keep up with your current multiplying population, so maybe this plus manual removal. I've wrapped gauze on the end of a stick to capture them. Their bristles will stick onto the gauze.

Click to expand...
Judging by that video realllllly slowly haha
 
Thanks for the suggestions!

Coral reefer said:
Not sure if you could take the aiptasia out for the most part? That would make it easier? I guess the bacteria part could make it harder.
Click to expand...
I can’t just remove the Aiptasia, there are at least a thousand covering every surface including large bio balls I have in there to increase the surface area. I don’t want to trigger anyone with pics :)

Bolicks said:
Prazi at a therapeutic fish treatment level didn't affect my bristleworms. I wonder whether a biological control might work - some anecdotal reports out there of arrow crabs eating bristleworms.
Click to expand...
CaseyP said:
They certainly do! Don't know if they'd be able to keep up with your current multiplying population, so maybe this plus manual removal. I've wrapped gauze on the end of a stick to capture them. Their bristles will stick onto the gauze.

Click to expand...

Bummer but thanks for the report on Prazi not working. Biological control is ruled out because like I said this is a species-specific tank, so I don’t add any other species. I tried that early on and it just isn’t an option with Aiptasia covering every surface and the poor water quality I allow in there.

thesassyindian said:
Hey John, If you do decide to go with traps anyway,
I'm happy to print one for you. Just say the word.
Click to expand...
You’re the best Yash! I saw your cool trap. At first I’m looking for something more definitive and less ongoing work since it is such a simple setup.

Corallus said:
Wonder if a de-wormer like ivermectin would kill bristleworms? It shouldn’t have anti bacterial activity, and you should be able to strip it out of the water with carbon if needed.
Click to expand...
Yeah I was wondering about ivermectin too. Anyone have experience?
 
1) Starve them out.
Aptasia only need a tiny bit of zooplankton. Worms eat detritus.
Clean out all the detritus.
So put in only a tiny bit of food, but dose amino acids, nitrates, and phosphates.
Then add lots of flow, and filter socks.
Presumably it is already bare bottom.

2) Eliminate their habitat
Replace all rock with PVC pipes.
No good place to hide. Plus, no good place for detritus to settle.
 
rygh said:
1) Starve them out.
Aptasia only need a tiny bit of zooplankton. Worms eat detritus.
Clean out all the detritus.
So put in only a tiny bit of food, but dose amino acids, nitrates, and phosphates.
Then add lots of flow, and filter socks.
Presumably it is already bare bottom.

2) Eliminate their habitat
Replace all rock with PVC pipes.
No good place to hide. Plus, no good place for detritus to settle.
Click to expand...
Good advice for a real tank but can’t use for this tank.
 
I remember back in the day someone asked this question also. They said to put your rock up on a PVC platform. Bare bottom and feed food to the bottom of the tank at night the Bristol worms will come out to get the food but they won’t be able to go back up into a rock because it’s on a platform. They didn’t say how high.
I never tried it tho.
 
Looks like there's actually a decent amount of ecotoxicological studies of polychaete worms (i.e. this one)

Perhaps we can find an ecotoxin that doesn't harm aiptasia! So far, I've found copper and cisplatin as bristleworm killers, but neither are very practical for your purpose.
 
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Bolicks said:
Looks like there's actually a decent amount of ecotoxicological studies of polychaete worms (i.e. this one)

Perhaps we can find an ecotoxin that doesn't harm aiptasia! So far, I've found copper and cisplatin as bristleworm killers, but neither are very practical for your purpose.
Click to expand...
I already get strange looks, if I divert human chemo drugs for my Aiptasia tank in the garage there will be zero people left who don’t think I’m nuts :)
 
phc567 said:
I remember back in the day someone asked this question also. They said to put your rock up on a PVC platform. Bare bottom and feed food to the bottom of the tank at night the Bristol worms will come out to get the food but they won’t be able to go back up into a rock because it’s on a platform. They didn’t say how high.
I never tried it tho.
Click to expand...
I can debunk this - I've had bristleworms make their way up to my magnetic frag racks about 6" above the substrate.
 
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