Keeping brittle stars and removing bristle worms?

[JxP]

Well the title says it all. Is there some fish/crab I could get that will help get rid of bristle worms, but leave my micro stars alone? I would just feed significantly less, but I want to increase my sea star population.

I do have a CBS, but she still let at least one worm get to around 8 inches. In her defense that one did come in some LR and was already 4 inches or so. I don't mind the little ones, but I am trying to avoid them reaching monster sizes.

Thanks!

In case it helps here is the tank stock list:
Small Yellow Tang
The CBS
Lawnmower Blenny
Pearly Jaw fish
Zoanthids
Octo Coral
Sand Anemone
20+ micro brittles

 

[ajespo85]

arrow crab? i've read they do eat them. maybe a yellow wrasse as well.

 

[cakemanPA]

Why would you want to eliminate bristleworms? They are great detrivores.

 

[Kidd Reef]

To my knowledge there is no predator sold in the aquarium trade the will eliminate a bristleworm infestation entirely. The few creatures that do eat them will usually ignore the big ones and only get the ones bold enough to come out of the rockwork. Eventually they will dwindle the population down to where they will only be in the rocks, But not 100% eliminate them.

 

[username in use]

What's the problem with the bristle worms? They are beneficial. If the tank is "overrun" with them, then you have an issue with an overabundance of food for them which could be a number of things.

 

[ajespo85]

right ^ hence why I didn't get an arrow crab, I was told they will eat bristle worms.

 

[Kym]

what is a bristleworm please?

 

[Principal_P]

Tiny little worms that usually live under & in your rock especially around the sand base. You'll especially see them at feeding time as they stretch out to get some food. Good luck trying to pick them out of the crevices.

I left my bristleworms alone...I see them as beneficial. Although, I did see them once devour my electric scallop. Another word of caution, wear gloves when handling the rocks they live in...those tiny little jaggers will stick you and your hands/fingers will swell up for a day or two. It doesn't hurt, but man is it annoying.

 

[snorvich]

Why would you want to eliminate bristleworms? They are great detrivores.

Exactly.

 

[snorvich]

right ^ hence why I didn't get an arrow crab, I was told they will eat bristle worms.

As well as take fish.

 

[Sk8r]

They cost a dollar apiece when you finally decide you need them.

 

[hotelbravo]

I just went to my lfs this week and turned over every rock in their displays. i counted out 37 bristleworms i put them all in my tank FOR FREE!!! i was so happy. idk why you would want to get rid of those guys.. but if your asking about predatory fish. the purple dottyback has a note from Liveaquaria saying they are predators of bristleworms... not sure how true that is but it was one reason i went with the royal gramma instead of the dottyback

 

[mussel and hate]

Bristle worms excepting the notorious fire worm do seem benign. I'd say leave them alone. That said I observed my purple dottyback with a bristle worm in his mouth on more than one occasion. He also seemed to enjoy pulling peanut worms from the rock like linguine so be warned that these fish eat multiple beneficial organisms and possess a really bad attitude. Very pretty and active fish though.

 

[deleau]

My P. fridmani seems cool with the bristleworms. He may take a few here and there, but he's not made any real dent in their population. I think he prefers the "mana from heaven" that drops in daily in the form of Mysis...

If you get too many, there's ways of removing the bigger ones. I removed a large one coiled up under a coral colony not too long ago. Mainly, I did it to keep my fingers safe. I re-homed it to a buddy's tank.