Identify This Parasite thingy?
- Thread starter Ace1
- Start date
BristlewormKing
New member
If it is a light red to gray color with white clusters of thin thorns/bristles on the side - oh yes, definitely bristleworm or fireworm. Harmful? That is an ongoing debate and since there are over a 1000 specieis, there is not one absolute. Some argue they aerate the sand and are beneficial. In my breeding tanks, I know they will eat nudibranch eggs so if I see even one bristleworm that has ridden in on something and sneaked past QT, I break down the tanks and restart with new sand and rocks. In my regular tanks, I leave them unless they start appearing in every nook and cranny - or if they get so big they look like they could eat a clownfish (I have run across two that looked that big).
You might want to search the Internet and look for bristleworms or fireworms to see what they look like and the impact they can have on your tank. Usually a large population of them indicates high nutrients in the water.
Warning - if you try and grab the larger ones with tweezers, they will usually break apart and you will end up with two. Don't touch them with your hands - take it from my experience, those bristles break off in your skin and hurt!
You might want to search the Internet and look for bristleworms or fireworms to see what they look like and the impact they can have on your tank. Usually a large population of them indicates high nutrients in the water.
Warning - if you try and grab the larger ones with tweezers, they will usually break apart and you will end up with two. Don't touch them with your hands - take it from my experience, those bristles break off in your skin and hurt!
BristlewormKing
New member
I don't breed them specifically - but I would rather have them breeding and sell the extras than to have bristleworms eating the eggs
bigdaddyadam
New member
bristleworms eat nudi eggs? I bought some berghia about 2 months ago...at first they were eating the aiptasia preety well and laying eggs, but in the last month I have seen no sign they are still around.
the place I bought them from said bristleworms would not eat them...I was hoping maybe they were just slow and I hadn't sen any for a while...if they are all gone I may have to try peppermint shrimp
the place I bought them from said bristleworms would not eat them...I was hoping maybe they were just slow and I hadn't sen any for a while...if they are all gone I may have to try peppermint shrimp
NanoReefWanabe
Active member
if it is centipede like then i would think you have an enucid worm...which is a coral eater...but like it was said there are thousands of species of worms..a picture would help a million..
