Too many bristleworms?

[inktomi]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30998766@N03/3658541145/" title="Bristle worms by inktomi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3620/3658541145_dde5c16ab5.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="Bristle worms" /></a>

I took this photo tonight while my pumps were off to feed my LPS.. the bristleworms came out in force!! Do you think I may have too many? They're allll over the place at night.

Should I pull some out? They don't seem to be doing any harm (that I notice..).

 

[jenglish]

I don't think they themselves do much harm but you have to ask what are they all eating? It takes a lot of detritus to support a large population like that.

 

[drummereef]

Why did I look at that while I was eating. Looks like they are doing their job to me. If they aren't harming any corals etc I see no reason to get rid of them. They are an essential part of your clean up crew imo.

 

[inktomi]

That's what I've figured.. they must just be cleaning up something. I'm not sure what though - I've been cutting back on fish/coral food lately due to an outbreak of red slime cyano.

We'll see what happens. For now, they seem to just be increasing in population. I've been cutting back on foods for maybe a month now. Tank has 1 clown, 1 coral beauty, and 1 purple pseudocromis. I've been trying to ensure that the angel eats all it's food when I feed it - I think the leftover frozen blocks (the ones that contain sponge don't get eaten 100%) might be part of the cause of the outbreak.

 

[Sea Polar]

when you cut back on food they will compete!!! this one wants more than detritus.

it's about 10" and trying to steal a piece of silverside from the plate...

worm!

 

[inktomi]

Yea, tonight is when I noticed how many they are after I saw one pull some mysis out of one of my acan's mouths =\

 

[darkdruid]

Cut back on feedings or buy an arrow crab. They eat btistleworms like spaghetti!

 

[inktomi]

I'm going to go for cutting back on feedings more. I'll have to start cutting some cubes in half and only feeding half per day.

 

[HotHotHot]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15256656#post15256656 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by darkdruid
Cut back on feedings or buy an arrow crab. They eat btistleworms like spaghetti!

Anyone know if arrow crabs will eat true fire worms?

Ed

 

[luther1200]

I don't know but my Coral Banded Shrimp also will eat bristleworms. He ha skept there numbers low in the DT. Not that I really mind them, I would just rather them not be all over the DT.

 

[Mopar Reefer]

Six line wrasse will help cut down on your BW population too.

 

[ddinox64]

I don't think my six line nor Arrow crab has ever eaten one. What did work is cutting back on feeding. I may see two or three in there now. And I haven't had either the six or arrow for about three months.

 

[Shablin]

I hope you dont have a bristleworm hive with a queen like this!!

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1650189&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

 

[inktomi]

/gasp!

I hope not. I might never be able to put my hands in my tank again...

 

[akitty6552]

I've been trying to talk my boyfriend into buying a coral banded shrimp. Our tank is out of control with bristleworms. If you move something in the tank, worms fly out everywhere, literally. It's to the point where I won't put my fingers in the tank. We have a ton of worms that are at least a foot long. I'd give the advice of trying to get rid of some of them before they all start reproducing and you have a crazy outbreak like we have.

 

[Superstretch18]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15258684#post15258684 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mopar Reefer
Six line wrasse will help cut down on your BW population too.

six line wrasse are not typically bristleworm eaters, but most of the red sea pseudochromis are (aldabrensis, sankeyi, springeri, flaviveritex)...

I wouldn't worry too much about it, except that you probably have a lot of excess nutrients. The larger worms are a different species...

 

[sikpupy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15260990#post15260990 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by akitty6552
I've been trying to talk my boyfriend into buying a coral banded shrimp. Our tank is out of control with bristleworms. If you move something in the tank, worms fly out everywhere, literally. It's to the point where I won't put my fingers in the tank. We have a ton of worms that are at least a foot long. I'd give the advice of trying to get rid of some of them before they all start reproducing and you have a crazy outbreak like we have.

Talk him onto it? Whats there to talk him into it about? Does he like bristle worms or something?

 

[akitty6552]

He had a coral banded shrimp in the past and it always was really aggressive