Anemone fights large bristle worm.

[musicsmaker]

And it looks like it might have lost. I woke up this morning to find that my anemone had tucked up under a rock. After seeing the resident 8 inch + bristle worm wriggling around as if it were in pain, I decided to investigate further. The anemone if FULL of bristle worm spines. Doesn't look good.

I think the bristle worm is dead also, but I'm getting ready to suck him out and be sure of it.

My question: The clownfish have many bristles in them as well probably from rubbing up against the anemone, or attacking the invading worm. Should I attempt to remove the spines from the fish, or let them go a day or so to see if they lose them?

 

[Sk8r]

Epic. The spines will dissolve on their own or be absorbed: happens to my firefish all the time---burrow dispute. They're calcium carbonate, which is useful nutrient. Probably fish and nem will be fine. Not so sure about the worm.

 

[musicsmaker]

The worm is history now. I spit in the toilet before I flushed him!

 

[55semireef]

Was the worm alive when you got it? BTW, what was the brisstleworm trying to accomplish with the anemone? Trying to eat it?

 

[reefdadx2]

" I spit in the toilet before I flushed him." From Musicsmaker I am still laughing as I type. Michael R

 

[musicsmaker]

He still had some wriggle in him, but had broken into two pieces and was bleeding. I've had clowns, anemone, and bristle worm for years with no problems. I've thought about taking the worm out before, but I figured it hadn't caused any problems so let it go. I'm not sure who initiated the tango, as all I was witness to was the aftermath.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8480072#post8480072 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55semireef
Was the worm alive when you got it? BTW, what was the brisstleworm trying to accomplish with the anemone? Trying to eat it?

 

[55semireef]

That sounds weird. I wonder why your bristleworm persisted with your anemone?

 

[musicsmaker]

It could have just been a chance happening. They bumped into one another by chance, and just reacted defensively perhaps.

UPDATE: As was predicted by Sk8R, the clowns are fine. Fully recovered. The anemone is as well, but has not moved from the spot he retreated to. Maybe he likes it there, as he's getting a good bit of light, but I look for him to make another move in the near future. He opens over a foot on his best days.

 

[OceanLyons]

Glad I just read this thread. :celeb1: I fed my RBTA about 30 minutes ago. Right now, he has 1/2 of a large bristle worm in his mouth. Thought he might he a goner, maybe not...
I assume that the bristle worm was going for the food.

Should I try to pull it out, or let the anemone decide what to do (digest or spit out)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I've seen bristleworms go after Clownfish eggs. This can result in the anemone and/or Clownfish getting bristles stuck in them. (I had a female ocellaris go blind in one eye after a worm stuck her there.) I've seen bristleworms fall into an anemone. Sometimes they get eaten and sometimes they escape.

I have hundreds of bristleworms in a large aquarium with hundreds of anemones. I've never seen a bristleworm attack a healthy anemone.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12541167#post12541167 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by OceanLyons
Glad I just read this thread. :celeb1: I fed my RBTA about 30 minutes ago. Right now, he has 1/2 of a large bristle worm in his mouth. Thought he might he a goner, maybe not...
I assume that the bristle worm was going for the food.

Should I try to pull it out, or let the anemone decide what to do (digest or spit out)?

Thanks in advance.

let nature take it's course

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12541263#post12541263 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gary Majchrzak
let nature take it's course

Not trying to be smart or anything but I wouldn't completely call it "nature" when its taking place in a glass enclosure.

I agree though let the anemone swallow the worm.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

have no fear- you aren't being smart. You are learning

OceanLyons- let us know if your anemone digests the bristleworm. IME it won't and it will spit it back out.

 

[OceanLyons]

Thanks everyone. As of this morning, the anemone looks fine. I think that he did digest the worm, but I can't be positive as I didn't see it happen. The mouth is not quite as tight as it was before, and a very small bit of flesh/mucus-like material near the mouth (less than 1cm in size).

I think all is well.

This tank currently doesn't have any fish in it. I think that the bristle worm was really hungry due to lack of regular feeding. I had lost my clowns a while back again due to low oxygen levels , and haven't been feeding as much as I used to do.

 

[musicsmaker]

Mine was a very large bristle worm. 8 - 10 inches long IIRC. It recovered in short time as did the clowns. From my experience the only time you should interfere with an anemone is if it gets sucked into a powerhead. Shame on me for letting it get in that position in the first place, but it survived that too.

 

[OceanLyons]

This same anemone got stuck in a powerhead too. Lost half his tentacles to a Vortech. I had him sectioned off in the tank in a container with eggcrate on top. He squeezed his way through the eggcrate and found my powerhead. He spans about 5 inches. This was a couple of months ago.

He's quite a trooper!

 

[AD87]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8480182#post8480182 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefdadx2
" I spit in the toilet before I flushed him." From Musicsmaker I am still laughing as I type. Michael R

Sorry for being off topic, but when I saw that post I just laughed. I pull them out and pour a small amount of gas and them, light it on the side walk and watch em burn. I HATE BRISTLE WORMS.