Pest Identification / Eradication :(

[rockfanmidsouth]

Saturday tank cleaning went as usual, salt water on the floor, wrestling the skimmer off the tank, scrubbing the salt off the lights, the use of 10+ lint free towels to buff and shine the glass like a prize corvette.... Afterwards The hubby took me out for a nice dinner and live music - come back home lovely evening until....
I wanted to admire my work before going to bed............ Moon lights are one and the tank is crystal clear, so I sit down and sigh and smile.. everyones tucked in and sleeping, corals are glowing, then I see "something" slowing making its way out of a barnacle. I flip the light on and it vanishes. Turn it off and watch , here it comes again, LOOKS LIKE a starfish tentacle.. Turn on the lights, GONE. I do this 3 or 4 times... Hmmmm I am excited for a moment, thinking HA A STAR FISH!! then realize I have no starfish in this tank, So *with a small flashlight pressed to the glass* I keep watching and once its completely out of the barnacle I see that it is a WORMY CENTIPEDE LOOKING THING!!! Upon further inspection I see there are A BUNCH OF THESE THINGS, at least a dozen of , various sizes mostly in one corner of the tank!!!!!!!! I did some research and I THINK its a "bristle worm" Can anyone confirm this and if so HOW THE HECK DO I GET RID OF THEM!!!????? Is there anything that will eat them or am I going to have to tear down my tank to remove them? Thanks :sad2:

 

[OneReef]

Bristle worms are not pests per say, in that they won't harm your tank. In fact, they eat detritus and clean your tank. just don't grab one, it'll leave bristles stuck in your fingers, which soaking your fingers in vinegar will dissolve them by the way. Anyways, if you really want them out, I think arrow crabs eat them,. There are several things that eat them if you want to eradicate them, but I wouldn't worry about them.

 

[triggreef]

I've seen my red coris wrasse east them. They don't hurt anything though, nothing to worry over

 

[kylathwe]

Ya just leave them

 

[OneReef]

One other thought, if they get out of hand, watch your nutrient levels. They seem to thrive when there are excess nutrients. They are feeding on excess something...

 

[OneReef]

I would have to read up on the reef safeness of arrow crabs, but Memfish has one in stock for 9.99

 

[kylathwe]

They have one in the zoo in a softy reef tank

 

[rockfanmidsouth]

Thank you SO much! I had a Sally and it "vanished". Never saw any of the worms prior to that. I will check on the Arrow crab (they are CREEPY - lol) and maybe try that. I was in a panic because I had read online that they can harm your fish and crabs :-/

 

[bshumake]

Bristle worms ARE harmless until they get about 2' long. Then you'll check the tank one night to find it trying to eat a sleeping fish. I caught it and had it in a jar of formalin until we moved. Susan made me toss him out. RIP Vermin "Vermie" Shumaker

 

[MPDBullitt]

Vermie was 2 FEET long? wowsers!

 

[OneReef]

There are traps you can make out of PVC pipe i think. Google will show you how. Also, someone said if you put a piece if shrimp in a stocking hose and peg it to the sand at night, the bristle worms will get stuck to it and can't get off. Don't know if that works, but I read it once

 

[rockfanmidsouth]

There are traps you can make out of PVC pipe i think. Google will show you how. Also, someone said if you put a piece if shrimp in a stocking hose and peg it to the sand at night, the bristle worms will get stuck to it and can't get off. Don't know if that works, but I read it once

Ok two feet long is all I needed to hear !!I am totally creeped out now - I don't want to put my hand in tank now! and to think I was stirring that sand bed a bit over the weekend. UGH! I read that arrow crabs or a yellow wrasse is my best bet for removal. I may try the stocking trick and see what happens with that. I have counted quite a few of them, at least a dozen - I watched some videos of them on youtube and they sort of remind me of the alien face-suckers... I do believe they need to GO.. I have enough lil snails and such to eat tank waste. Thanks :wave:

 

[MPDBullitt]

They are the reason my wife will not even touch the water....even though I haven't spotted one in this tank yet. Scaredy cat!

 

[Blindside]

Harmless little guys just don't squeeze them with your hands. I doubt you will get rid of them, they are worms meaning they will get inside your rocks. Just pretend they aren't there. Plus they have lts of little babies all the time.

 

[rockfanmidsouth]

Harmless little guys just don't squeeze them with your hands. I doubt you will get rid of them, they are worms meaning they will get inside your rocks. Just pretend they aren't there. Plus they have lts of little babies all the time.

ohhhhhh yay Blindside :hmm2: Believe I will run to Memfish tomorrow and see about an arrow crab............ My fire fish goby was missing at dinner time yesterday and he didn't show today either - I hate to think he was eaten while he slept...... I am about to wage war on the worms.. :uzi: