Bristle Worms

[ThaChad]

Hey All,

I have a 90g Reef Aquarium with a ~20g sump/Refugium.

Today, I happen to be sitting on the floor when my main lights turned off and my Refugium lights turn on.. I saw about 1/2 dozen Bristle Worms about 1" long in the sump begin to scatter, they were definitely bristle worms, looked like millipedes..

I have never seen one in the main tank, but i'm sure they are there, unless the fish, crabs, snails eat them..

My understanding is that unless they are big they are okay? I don't know that they would hurt anything in the Refugium? The only thing I have in there is a 6" ball of cheato, live sand and a few rocks.

Thanks,

-ThaChad

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

They're completely harmless and highly beneficial.

 

[tzylak]

Fish (at least most) will not eat the worms. Large or small, they are helpful part of the CUC.
When I moved my tank I had some plant die off and the worm population quadrupled. Then, when the tank stabilized, their population reduced to a handful.
It's all good.

 

[sculpin2]

There is a big difference between the common/generally harmless bristle worms and the rarer/definitely harmful creatures like fire worms and Bobbit/Eunice worms. Fire worms (typically large/fat bristle worms) are known coral predators, while Eunice worms predate pretty much anything that lives.

By comparison, the common bristle worms are detrivores, and are generally beneficial.

 

[ca1ore]

Many of the halichoeres wrasses will eat bristle worms given the chance, though often the bigger bits left over grow into new worms. Fortunately, as noted, they're harmless and will wax and wane based on the available food supply.

 

[Shawn O]

My Neon Dottyback will occasionally take a bite out of one. He then spends about an hour scraping the edges of his mouth on the rocks to dislodge the bristles.