id please

[chuggy]

what is this its next to the hermit crab

http://www.freewebs.com/chuggy1969/2.htm

 

[rssjsb]

Looks like a bristleworm.

 

[chuggy]

are those bad? came as a hitchhiker

 

[mhills16]

i agree, bristle worm, many people will say it is not bad because it can act as a clean up crew, but, my preference, i dont like them and i remove them whenever one accidently came hitchhiking.

 

[rssjsb]

They're not bad. They are actually helpful in that they eat up leftover food and so forth and will clean up anything that dies in your tank. You can take them out if you want, but there's really no reason. Just don't overfeed your tank and they won't reproduce too fast. You should be fine.

 

[mhills16]

true, also, if you decide to remove it, do not touch it with your hand if you already do not know!! but, i only remove them for preference, they are not harmful!

 

[chuggy]

i wasnt going to touch it it looks pretty scary. What happens if you do touch it will it sting or something?

 

[rssjsb]

They don't sting.

The bristles come off when touched, and will stick in your skin, like the tines of a fuzzy cactus. They're really light in color and fine in texture, and are therefore hard to see and hard to remove. It's not pleasant, but not fatal either.

 

[NirvanaFan]

If you do happen to get some bristles in your hand, soak it in vinegar or lemon juice. The acidity is supposed to dissolve the bristles.