Bristle worms good or bad?

[aadams22]

Im starting to notice more and more in my tank since ive been slightly overfeeding trying to get my rainsford goby to eat. I dont particularly like them, but are they harmful?

Thanks

 

[Betta132]

Not harmful at all, in fact they're useful. They eat gunk. Just don't touch them.
Overfeeding won't help your goby eat, you have to try adding different foods until you find something he likes. Try live food or frozen Cyclop-eeze.

 

[aadams22]

Ok thanks. Im already using that food, i guess overfeeding isnt the word, i just spread it over the live rock since hes a grazer as well as the hermit crabs

 

[emcmilla]

Not harmful at all, in fact they're useful. They eat gunk. Just don't touch them.
Overfeeding won't help your goby eat, you have to try adding different foods until you find something he likes. Try live food or frozen Cyclop-eeze.

+1 I don't particularly like bristle worms, but I tend to leave them alone, unless of course they become huge or are overrun with them (neither of which has happened to me). Overfeeding isn't a good idea, it's a good way to throw your water parameters off...

 

[stscream4187]

I view them as helpful. If I see a rather large one I will take it out though..

 

[Principal_P]

Wear gloves when handling any of the rock they may be living under. Those tiny bristles will sting your hands and leave them red/swollen for a day or two. I had a six line wrasse that kept the population in check, and like stscream said, I would pick out the big ones on occasion...

 

[spznm]

I hate them like someone else mentioned their bristles hurt at least for me. I remove them when I see them. I have a bare bottom.

 

[hotelbravo]

I just posted this in a similar thread but last week i went to my lfs and turned over any rock i could find and grabbed with my bare hands every bristleworm that wasnt in a hole. i counted 37 of them. the lfs gave them to me for free.
later that day i felt some stinging in my fingers from the worms.. it was mild and tolerable but for a few minutes it actually hurt.

 

[JoeVandal49]

When i accidentally touch them with the inside of my palm/fingertips, they haven't seemed to sting me. I think my skin may be too rough.

I have been nailed a few times on the tops of my fingers/hands and it certainly doesn't feel good. Its kind of like touching stinging nettle from my experience.