What is this and should I be concerned?
- Thread starter L/B Block
- Start date
SupraSaltyReefer
Supporting Member
Yep Bristle worms. A few are good to help eat the left over food but too many and they’ll take over your sump or tank.
I have only seen a couple in the sump but I will keep an eye out for them.,
Kensington Reefer
Supporting Member
As noted...
A few are beneficial (there will always be some)
But ya kinda wanna avoid this:
Warning, not for the easy queasy
A few are beneficial (there will always be some)
But ya kinda wanna avoid this:
Warning, not for the easy queasy
Coral reefer
Past President
What do you mean by take over?
Kensington Reefer
Supporting Member
I have seen a tank so infested, did partial water change.....then they spawned!
The tank looked like milk
Remedy was to empty the tank completely and start new...everything new
Agree they are bristle worms. They are good detrivores, don’t harm coral or fish generally, lots of people like having them.
Personally, I hate them and they sting me often when I’m not careful with my hands in the tank, especially at the junction of rock or frag disk and sand, or in my refugium. I’ll go through and remove tons of them from time to time with the benefit of nutrient export I guess. Whether or not you want them doesn’t really matter since you can’t get rid of them.
Personally, I hate them and they sting me often when I’m not careful with my hands in the tank, especially at the junction of rock or frag disk and sand, or in my refugium. I’ll go through and remove tons of them from time to time with the benefit of nutrient export I guess. Whether or not you want them doesn’t really matter since you can’t get rid of them.
Coral reefer
Past President
I’ve seen them spawn many times. Never really caused an issue for me
SupraSaltyReefer
Supporting Member
Here’s my 10g with probably 100+ bristle worms. I over fed the tank since I like my clownfishes to be fat. That fueled the bristle worms as well from the uneaten food. Had to manually remove them.
Those look like the kind I keep that really don't cause any trouble at all and are good scavengers of leftover food and dead snails etc. Pretty easy to tweezer out, I also have a trap you can use if you want to borrow it. Just always be wary about the underside of frag plugs and where you put your fingers.
Their free swimming epitokes (larvae) are super weird though at night sometimes and look like spinning curly cues. But often end up as food for other animals in the tank. My old Copperband would murder them all day, along with my mystery wrasse.
Their free swimming epitokes (larvae) are super weird though at night sometimes and look like spinning curly cues. But often end up as food for other animals in the tank. My old Copperband would murder them all day, along with my mystery wrasse.
All very helpful info. Thanks everyone. That video @Kensington Reefer -wow.
I have a few in the sump. I do have a dottyback and a wrasse that prob keeps them in check in the DT . I don’t think I have seen one there even if they are there
I have a few in the sump. I do have a dottyback and a wrasse that prob keeps them in check in the DT . I don’t think I have seen one there even if they are there
Nice pic!
Coral reefer
Past President
I’ve never had long term success with them. Not sure how long they should live, but I stopped buying them because they don’t live long for me
Same here
Chromis
Supporting Member
@Coral reefer @JVU How long is “not long”?
I don’t really know. Hard to notice exactly when they die since the ones I had hide most of the time. Between 6 mo and 2 years maybe? I’ve had 3 individually or so over the decades but haven’t tried again recently.
Coral reefer
Past President
Less than a year for sure. Maybe a few months most often. Maybe a food scarcity issue? Something by they don’t like about how I maintain tanks? Couldn’t figure it out and quit buying them. Same with copper bands for me. Although I’ve had copper bands last a year or two a few times
I remember @H2OPlayar having a big arrow crab in his tank. Curious if he had similar issues