just found a bright orange bristleworm (?) in my tank

[sabazerehi]

i found a six inch or so bright orange bristleworm/fireworm (don't really know the difference) in my 24g nano. luckily i got the thing out but can't upload any pics cuz i don't know where my camera is, sorry. any info on what it might be will be greatly appreciated, i would love to find out if this is the reason why my fish keep dying. thanks!

 

[Sk8r]

Harmless. They're usually orange/pink (depending on your lights) with a dark segment. Pretty good cleanup crew.

One of the problems with little tanks is that the parameters keep bouncing due to evaporation: this is hard on things, and some fish are more sensitive than others. Start a log of your salinity/alkalinity/ph/temperature and test at varying times of day. Consider an autotopoff if you don't have one. That would help. Mysterious fish deaths can come from parameter variation; from disease/parasites in the tank; from cyanide-caught fish (don't buy the same fish from the same source if you had one die).

Repost with more particulars and we'll see if we can figure why you're losing fish. You ARE acclimating them, right?

 

[sabazerehi]

i have a lid on my tank so there is no evaporation, i've been continuously checking my parameters and everything has been zero, ph is 8.2 and i have coralline everwhere and my corals are doing great. it doesn't look like a normal bristleworm, it's a solid bright orange all over and it looks squishy.

 

[Sk8r]

It is kind of an unusual one. I'd post that one in the inverts forum asking for attention from Leslie H, who is really good on worms.

Your lack of evaporation may actually be a fish problem: i'd worry a little about oxygenation. These all-in-ones are great, but they are a little short on air exchange if you have, say, tangs or angels, which take a bit more room.