Bristle Worms..

[Holmez221b]

I have a GSP that seems to be opening less and less. Last night I was looking at the tank with a flash light and noticed a few small bristle worms on the GSP... Can they be killing the coral???

 

[doomicon]

I have bristle worms in my tank, and don't seem to bother my GSP. Maybe snails, or cleaning crew is crawling on it? I had a two week period when everytime I looked into my tank my GSP was closed.. eventually found that the shrimp were making regular trips to the GSP, and would run into the rockwork when I would come by.

 

[Holmez221b]

I don't have any snails at all all right now... I did have an algae problem a few months ago, I think it may have suffocated the coral , I hope it comes back, I moved the flow closer to the GSP and keep it clean with a tooth brush..

 

[Alarmguy66]

Thats what was eating mine. I had one that was about 8 inches long and he would eat on it after the lights went out. I removed him and the problems stopped.

Im not saying all of them do it, because I still have plenty of bristle worms and dont have the problem anymore. Maybe this one just had a sweet tooth for them?

 

[cilyjr]

there are a few fireworms that will prey on corals. from what i understand they are rare
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php

 

[johnnybravo234]

Do you have any of those tiny starfish that seem to reproduce like ants.. I find them munching on mine sometimes in the morning before the light comes on. I have some bristle worms too and they've never seemed to bother the stars.

 

[rcole33856]

bump

 

[Hormigaquatica]

Might be a variety of worm that eats them, but those arent real common. My thought would be to move the GSP somewhere with better waterflow. Im guessing debris is settling down between the polyps, which will irritate the coral enough to keep it closed up, and would be a great food source fo bristle worms at night. Just keep it there for a while and see how it does.. hopefully it will recover. They can stay closed for months sometimes and look like hell, then start to rebound.

 

[Holmez221b]

I hope that's the case...I have the flow really close to it and it's still accumulating some browm alge??

 

[Sk8r]

No one's mentioned water params.
alk 8.3-9.3
temp 80
cal 400-450
mg 1200-1350
ph 8.2
salinity 1.025.
plus good flow.

 

[syrinx]

I have noticed when going through a fresh load of star polyps that the ones that don`t open often have a bunch of bristle worms living between the colony and the rock. Of course most of the ones that open also have them! I do think that if there are too many there may be irritation- but GSP often just close up shop for a while.