bristle worm vs fireworms

[ribki]

i was doing some research, trying to identify these red worms i have in my tank. i see that there are 2 kinds that look very alike, but i am not sure which kind they are (maybe both?!) i have so many of them in my tank varying in all different sizes. they do seem to have the bristles, the large ones live in or under the rocks. today, for the first time, i saw a large worm actually excrete something red that looked like a powder. it did this in one of my blue damsels favorite spot. is this the toxin that they release which is harmful? im terribly worried about my fish. i have had no deaths, and would love it to remain that way. im a college kid with a growing fascination for this tank ive been trying to uphold for a couple of years now (w/o the necessary maintenance at times.)

 

[smtank]

IME they are harmless and an excellent addition to a cuc. They get a much undeserved reputation as predators of corals and inverts. Granted some very large worms may become an issue, the vast majority are harmless. People assume that because they find them feeding on a dead or dying animals that they contributed to the demise when actually they are merely cleaning up. I have one over 2 feet that shares the same burrow with my goby and pistol shrimp.

Here is a decent link about them.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+524+2198&pcatid=2198

 

[olemiss reb]

^thats a link to a velvet nudi

try this one-- http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/5/short

 

[smtank]

opps

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchworms.html

 

[ribki]

thank you so much, you have truly put my mind at ease on this subject. i was going bonkers with finals coming up. i will no longer look at the bristle worms as imposers!