HELP! Worms!

C

CFS82

In Memoriam
Ok, so I just got 60-70lbs of live rock for twenty bucks.
Heres the catch
Its LOADED with bristleworms.

How can I get rid of them while still being able to use the rock in the tank in a reasonable amount of time?

Can I put them in my garage and will they die from the cold? Can i put a chemical in there? or what?


Thank you in advance.
 
I think killing the worms will not help you "to use the rock in the tank in a reasonable amount of time" because most of the dead worms will stay in the rock. Also, whatever kills the worms will also cause other die off, so the rock will have to be cured again.

Just shake out what you can and put the rock in your tank. The bristle worm population will rise and fall according to what your tank will support anyway.
 
I figured that was a strong possibility. I am not experienced enough to know all the things that 'kill' live rock.

I dont want to introduce anything potentially harmful to my scooter blenny and lil clownfish. just how bad are these things. I have heard differing opinions and all that I have been able to gather is that there are different types, some good and some bad. also that the bad ones most of the time the fish will just learn to leave them alone.


Ok and lets say I dont mind curing the live rock. what can I do to get rid of these things.
 
CFS82 said:
just how bad are these things. I have heard differing opinions and all that I have been able to gather is that there are different types, some good and some bad. also that the bad ones most of the time the fish will just learn to leave them alone.


Ok and lets say I dont mind curing the live rock. what can I do to get rid of these things.
Click to expand...

Bad? They are not bad at all!
Most of us consider them free cleanup crew.
We have all heard there are some that feed on corals, but they are rarely encountered.

As for your fish, they already know to leave them alone.

If you do want to kill some off, I would suggest ten minutes in fresh water, then rinse out whatever worms will come out of the rock before curing.
 
So bristleworms absolutely do not eat fish?
Thats the great part about this hobby, so much to learn.
 
Ok, and sorry if Im asking too many questions but if these are fireworms then those are all bad right? how do I tell the difference?
 
Hermodice Carunculata are pretty rare in Aquariums.

They go out hunting instead of staying in the holes in the rocks and are not shy about being in the open.

They are brightly orange or red colored and have fluffy tufts of bristles down the sides.

The bristle worms that are thin and orange with a transition to a dark color back along their bodies are just common bristle worms.
 
Just make sure to wear gloves when handling the rocks, getting the worm's bristles embedded in your skin is not a pretty experience, trust me.
 
Ok so I measured, its 87lbs. So as you probably guessed for that price I didnt ask alot of questions.
Well its nice live rock, but its covered in algae, muck and bubble algae.
Like I put it in a bucket of water and the water just turned brown.

To give you an idea here is where I got it from
A 55 gallon with one ten inch puffer, full grown copperband butterfly, and a half dozen damsels and clowns. Poor fish.

I also got stung by one of the worms and after seeing hundreds that were a foot long, i dont want them in my tank, period.

Here is what they look like
5krjg7.jpg

you can also see the rock isnt fit to go into a show tank just yet.

What should I do? I am not the most knowledgeable about it but here is my plan.
Let it dry out for a day in the sun
scrub it gently to get all the crud off of it.
Let it dry again
Cure it.

How does that sound? I want this rock to be able to be covered in coraline like the rest of my rock is starting to be, so im sure I have to cut out the competing algae.

let me know if my plan is ok, or just stupid. Like i said i dont know much about it. I just know that if i put it in my tank now I would have to do many huge water changes just to have clear water.
Thanks for all the help
 
honestly just recure the rock and like the others said bristleworms will stay in check depending on how much your system will support not enough food some die it all just depends
 
RedRider001 said:
honestly just recure the rock and like the others said bristleworms will stay in check depending on how much your system will support not enough food some die it all just depends
Click to expand...

Well heres the thing and its hard to convey with words. this is some messed up live rock, I guarantee none of you would put it in your favorite tank the way it is. Its covered in slime, dirt, and bubble algae.

I pulled out soooo many worms and are gonna give them away for refugiums or something.


but how would you recommend cleaning this rock so it can go back into the tank
 
Ok, I am in the process of scrubbing the live rock but its still a dark grimy color.
Do you think it would be ok to powerwash it or no?

Turns out most of the worms died from the hour long ride home.
 
Ok, I have researched similar situations and I see that some people powerwash the rock and some people bleach it.

what would you guys suggest. I play on doing one of those methods of cleaning it and then letting it sit in a heated tote with a powerhead for a month or two and then adding it to the main tank
 
IMO there are so many bristles on it bceause of all that much as you put it. Bristles LUUUUBBB the decaying matter. Thats why they are so good for a tank. They clean areas no other things can get to.

You do have a ton in that pic, but I bet if you just cured it in a bucket for a while a lot will die as the food source dissapears on it.

If it was me though, I would only do a small freshwater dip if there isn't anything else on the rock I want to keep alive, and get some bristles out, but not all.
 
mndfreeze said:
IMO there are so many bristles on it bceause of all that much as you put it. Bristles LUUUUBBB the decaying matter. Thats why they are so good for a tank. They clean areas no other things can get to.

You do have a ton in that pic, but I bet if you just cured it in a bucket for a while a lot will die as the food source dissapears on it.

If it was me though, I would only do a small freshwater dip if there isn't anything else on the rock I want to keep alive, and get some bristles out, but not all.
Click to expand...

So many have already died from the stress of transport. It is absolutely ridiculous.. I am telling you the sheer amount of worms has clogged my shop sink. I HAVE PUT SAND AND ZEOLITE DOWN THIS THING BEFORE AND IT WAS FINE!

that makes sense and thanks for the insight, makes sense how they got out of control. Huge puffer in a tiny tank = waste.

Will go pick up a tote and curing materials today.
 
Powerwashing didnt do anything except when it chipped off small pieces. I have a home use unit but anymore would destroy the rock.

Should i bleach it?

I have some algae destroyer tablets, any chemicals I can add to clean it that wont kill everything?
 
Last edited:
If you are just setting up a new tank I'd simply toss it in and let it cycle. It will probably be a long cycle but the whole point of live rock is the bugs and bacteria that live in it. Let the rock cycle and the corraline will grow in eventually.

If you tank is already running and stocked I'd let it cure in a tub with a powerhead.
 
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