Bristleworms good or bad?

[Melina74]

I discovered I've got bristleworms. They are fairly long (3"+), brownish-grey. Saw 4 of them coming out of my rockwork last night after the lights went out. My tank is newly set up (2 weeks old), no livestock in it yet. I've been researching bristleworms and am getting conflicting info. On the internet, I find articles which say they are predatory, will eat corals, and should be removed. In Shimek's "Marine Invertebrates", it says they are beneficial detrivores and good to have? I'd like to know what you all think! Thanks!

 

[crab0000]

IMO they will not harm anything that is healthy, but are opportunistic if something is dying; they will eat it.

 

[yoboyjdizz]

They are good. To many of them could mean your overfeeding though. There are bad ones but its rare to have them in your tank.

 

[Melina74]

Thanks guys!

 

[mathias]

wow in 2 weeks.... you must of got live rock or sand from a fellow reefer? or stores tank?

 

[Melina74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10821547#post10821547 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mathias
wow in 2 weeks.... you must of got live rock or sand from a fellow reefer? or stores tank?

Yeah the rock was sitting around in the store's tank for quite some time and was pretty well established. I didn't even see an ammonia spike, just a tiny bit of nitrites. Very short cycle!

 

[foltzcd]

I have loads of bristle worms in my fuge with no problems

 

[seastar12]

Most of them will be beneficial to your tank.

 

[plyle02]

Let them bristles do their thing, just don't touch them and everything will be alright....lol...

 

[mikekman]

I hate the large bristleworms, when I get some plastic tweezers I'm going to get the large ones out., they are so unsightly to look at!

 

[Melina74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10822206#post10822206 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mikekman
I hate the large bristleworms, when I get some plastic tweezers I'm going to get the large ones out., they are so unsightly to look at!

No they are not pretty, that's for sure! But if they are going to scavange and clean up the tank, sounds to me like a good thing!

 

[Mr James]

Now this worm was in a 5g nano I had on my desk. Measured 9"!! It's big, but not as big as Steve Weast's 6' worm!!! Search on his name or look on his site.

 

[Mr James]

Oops, pic is awfully big. Sorry.

 

[CruzinKim]

Bristleworms won't harm your tank, but I hate it when I'm vaccuming the sand and accidentally touch one. Also, doesn't look good when one of your fishes has some bristles stuck to their face.

 

[kwaters]

That's a huge worm!!! I had one...but I think that Grumpy the six line had his way with it!

Kris

 

[davidryder]

Nothing to be afraid of, excellent scavengers.

 

[Musho3210]

i got quite a few of them, come out at night and when food falls near their cave.

 

[Melina74]

I've got atleast 6. Some small, a couple more than 4"

 

[uscharalph]

I have many, but the longest I've seen is maybe an inch to an inch & a half at the most. That 9 incher gives me the heebee geebees

 

[mikekman]

Thats a big bristle.....or lets hope its only a bristle and not a euncid worm that preys upon corals.

I'm gonna get a sixline since I hear they will eat bristles. I've got several that hang out near my dendros and try and eat food that I feed my dendros.......I won't have any of that!