Bristle worm Good/Bad?
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Invertebrates
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about invertebrates.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4531
Printed Date: May 02 2025 at 8:27pm
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Topic: Bristle worm Good/Bad?
Posted By: Chris
Subject: Bristle worm Good/Bad?
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 1:16am
| Tonight I was looking at my tank and I discovered a purple worm coming out from a hole in a rock. When I turned on the light to get a better view of it, it took off and hid. After the light was off for a bit it came back out and is quite active as long as there is no light. This got me thinking what is it? I found a picture of what it looks like here http://reef.geddis.org/p/1337-bristleworm.jpg - http://reef.geddis.org/p/1337-bristleworm.jpg and read a bit on it. From the looks of it bristle worms can be menacing and will eat corals. The place I found the picture at said this is a good scavanger worm. What is it? Should I get rid or the one worm before I have more? Anyone with info on this worm please help me out. |
Replies:
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 6:04am
|
These are good, but I have seen them get a little out of hand.
I'd leave the worm in, as they do a great job of cleaning up the
tank. If they do start to get out of hand there are a few reef
safe predators that will eat them. My favorite bing a Coral
Banded Shrimp.
------------- Jared Neilsen Lehi, Utah |
Posted By: Simple
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 6:13am
Hello everyone,
As I remember there are a few varieties that can eat corals. Fortunately, they are rarely found in tanks. I think the most common bad worm is identfied with a pink body and bright red markings along the side. I'd need to look into it again to be sure. At any rate, much of the "coral eating" opinion seems to stem from BWs clearing up dead or dying corals. People see worms on a dead coral and assume it's the worms fault. It's also worth mentioning that while they're great in the tank, don't touch them. The white spines along the side are a defense mechanism and can be very uncomfortable. Fortunately you can remove the spines easily by dissolving with vinegar.
Nope, keep it. Hopefully it will grow and reproduce. IMO, you want to have a bunch of these, or atleast as many as your tank wants. When starting a tank you probably want to add them, especially if you rock is less than ideal. Beyond all that, BWs are excellent scavangers, they clean corals, remove dead material and basically process a bunch of junk on down the food chain. HTH, Chris ------------- Ascult� tot, dar nu crede tot. Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see. |
From the looks of it bristle worms can be menacing and will eat corals.Posted By: Simple
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 6:49am
Hello everyone,
In what way? Thanks, Chris ------------- Ascult� tot, dar nu crede tot. Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see. |
Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 7:56am
|
I think they might only be able to get out of hand if their food
source is out of hand! They eat detritus and fish poo! So, if you have a lot, you will have less detritus and fish poo! I'd rather have the worms! There is a really good article in Coral Magizine, last months issue! Daniel Knop thinks they are good! |
Posted By: j's55
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 4:35pm
|
I had a 30 gal once and it had them in there. They ate
my catalina goby like attacked it  But like Suzy
said they only get out of hand when you feed them to much. But they are good if you can keep them under control. ------------- Josh Zorn 45G reef lots of tropical plants Cell it 910 3924 |
Posted By: Simple
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 5:40pm
Hello everyone,
Are you telling us that you saw a BW pull a healthy fish out of the water?
IMO you don't want to feed them directly. Ideally their numbers are governed by the excess food avaliable after feeding your fish and corals. If your BW population is too high(if there is such a thing) you're probably over feeding your tank. IMO, if your tank is "infested" with worms, the last thing you want to do is to introduce a predator. Unless of course you have some plan as to what is going to happen with all the material they were eating. Oh ya, and let's not forget that their reproduction can act as fresh natural food for your tank. If for some reason you feel compelled to reduce the number of BWs in your tank, I would start by target feeding your animals. HTH, Chris ------------- Ascult� tot, dar nu crede tot. Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 10:08pm
I have personally observed them ingesting particles of substrate in an effort to clean it of the organic film covering. They did this because I stopped feeding the tank for a month. Eventually their population was reduced due to lack of food. Chris, what does HTH stand for? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
|
Posted By: Simple
Date Posted: December 03 2004 at 10:51pm
Hello everyone,
Yep, worst case scenerio they might try to pull some food from a coral. However I find it difficult to believe the worms will ultimately out-compete the corals for food. Hope that helps, Chris ------------- Ascult� tot, dar nu crede tot. Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see. |
Posted By: Crazy Tarzan
Date Posted: December 04 2004 at 7:37am
|
I have a ton of bristle worms too. Even a couple long (8") ones
that are as big around as a pencil. I have on many occasions seen
them eating hair algea, or eating the substrate and later expeling it
back out. I have seen them devour a nearly dead fish (well not
really, but when I came back 3 hrs later nothing could be found of the
fish...) but have not had any problems with them attacking corals or
healthy fish.
------------- Was that in there yesterday? Casper--WY windier than ? Down to a 20, soon to double or nothing |
Posted By: Chris
Date Posted: December 04 2004 at 6:37pm
| Thanks for all the input that everyone has given. I just don't want to have something in my tank that might get out of hand. I feel it is better to ask then to regret it later. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 05 2004 at 7:54am
Speaking of living organisms that get out of hand, of the millions that live in the ocean and the thousands that live in our tanks  , there are relatively few in the "pest" category:
Aiptasia Anemone Valonia/Bubble Algae/Sailors Eye Hair Algae Flatworm/Planeria Red Acro bug rock crab We, the hobbyists on the MB, collectively know how to control and eliminate all of those problems, yet, so many individuals come to us only after claiming that they have been battling a problem for months or years (or they ask once and then go away to try it alone and never come back for more help, or they depend on the limited experience of the LFS employees  ). At this point, I always feel like saying(and often do say ), "Why didn't you come to us sooner? What do you think the WMAS is here for, if not to help you have a healthy reef?"
So, Chris, you are doing the best thing you could possibly do. Keep it up.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: j's55
Date Posted: December 05 2004 at 6:18pm
it was night and he was sleeping in a rock and the BW atacked his gills and mouth. I dont know if he was healthy I had got him a few days before. ------------- Josh Zorn 45G reef lots of tropical plants Cell it 910 3924 |
Posted By: Simple
Date Posted: December 05 2004 at 10:41pm
|
Hello everyone,
Josh, it's possible that you had an evil worm that does not match the common BWs found in home aquaria. However it's important to realize that the vast majority of the worms we have are VERY beneficial. Furthermore, to realize that when an animal starts going south, beneficial BWs will be there "attacking" it's dying tissue. They're very good at what they do 
I'm too lazy to find the quote, but FWIW, I'm sure I remember Dr. Ron saying that BWs aren't even capable of eating healthy tissue. HTH, Chris ------------- Ascult� tot, dar nu crede tot. Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see. |
Posted By: Jamison
Date Posted: December 06 2004 at 10:27am
|
Whoops! I just posted a very similar topic in General posts. My bad. I'm starting to see a lot of them too. I do like them, but they're starting to worry me. When do you know you have too many? Does anyone want a few? ------------- Educate. Inspire. Conserve. http://[email protected] |
Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: December 06 2004 at 10:59am
| Oops! I replied to your repeat thread! |
Posted By: Will Spencer
Date Posted: December 07 2004 at 1:09pm
|
When you can no longer see the substrate for all of the bristle worms on it then you have too many. Seriously though if I look in my refugium I can find 5-10 fairly large worms. 1-2" and 100's of tiny ones less than 1/4" and that is without looking hard. I have a hunch I see fewer of them in my tank because they are just the kind of food my Mandarin loves to eat. I really doubt you could get to the point of too many bristle worms because of the food issue. Either they will be food, or there will not be enough food to support outrageous numbers of them. I personally believe that if there was that much food in your tank you'd have far worse problems than bristle worm overload. Just my $.02. Also for those who are thinking of getting them out of their tanks I'll restate something Mark has said many times. If you see one in your tank you likely have 10 or even 100 more that you haven't seen. I can't imagine what it would take to really get them all out. |
Posted By: Jamison
Date Posted: December 07 2004 at 3:21pm
|
I am considering a mandarin. That's good news either way. Thanks! ------------- Educate. Inspire. Conserve. http://[email protected] |