Bristle worms !

**Deepwater** · 05-23-2008, 08:14 AM

Wanted to gt a bit more info about them. Ive heard mixed emotions about having them in tank s from fellow hobbyist. But having bristle worms in my tank for years now with no ill effect. I cant see how they are bad. the ones in my tank look pretty darn big too. Never bothered any thing.

SO lets here your experience with them !

Chong · 05-23-2008, 08:30 AM

The only thing bad i heard about them is they can give you a nasty stinger if you touch one. Thats good enough reason for me not to want them in my tank.

aquaman2000 · 05-23-2008, 11:08 AM

Bristle worms are not bad. They are a part of the biological diversity of the system. They add a huge amount of plankton to the system, eat excess food, dead animals and some will even feed on detritus, they also help keep the holes in the rock work clear of detritus, and keep your sand from compacting. Like everything else in a reef tank, it is all about balance. What they eat and what they will eat are two different things.

Right now you would not consider eating out of a dumpster.... or at least most of you would not.... I know I would not. But if you were living on the street and got hungry enough.... that dumpster starts looking pretty good right?

Ok so if you Bristle worms run out food.... like any other animal they will find something to eat!!! So as long as YOU maintain the balance, they are beneficial to system.

**JF2381** · 05-23-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquaman2000

Bristle worms are not bad. They are a part of the biological diversity of the system. They add a huge amount of plankton to the system, eat excess food, dead animals and some will even feed on detritus, they also help keep the holes in the rock work clear of detritus, and keep your sand from compacting. Like everything else in a reef tank, it is all about balance. What they eat and what they will eat are two different things.

Right now you would not consider eating out of a dumpster.... or at least most of you would not.... I know I would not. But if you were living on the street and got hungry enough.... that dumpster starts looking pretty good right?

Ok so if you Bristle worms run out food.... like any other animal they will find something to eat!!! So as long as YOU maintain the balance, they are beneficial to system.

Great post.

tunicata · 05-23-2008, 11:34 AM

Mine are fine. When I started seeing them a bit too often, it reminded me that I hadn't been feeding the tank very often (I had left for a 4 day trip plus don't feed much). I had just about 3 chromis in a 90v tank. Once I started feeding regularly again they stopped making their appearances. They were huge though...and gross...but useful I know.

They are also in the schools tank. There they show up whenever we feed. We only had clowns in there and fed them mostly brine.

aquaman2000 · 05-23-2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JF2381

Great post.

thank you... I have spent a lot of time on the subject.

psychographic · 05-23-2008, 11:38 AM

Very good way of putting it Aqua. I actually had bristleworms save a Zoa frag I obtained, it was in bad shape when I got it and was going downhill fast, the BW's got a hold of the dying polyps, ate them leaving the somewhat healthy ones and the frag regained it's health and flourished. I think if they had not eaten the bad polyps, whatever had infected them would have spread to the remaining ones.

I had an 8'" one in my tank for quite a while, I did remove it, as I feared it would run out of food and look to my corals to feed on.

If you look at any of my pics, you have about a 95% chance of seeing a BW in it, my tank has tons of them. I have yet to see a healthy coral harmed by any of them.

aquaman2000 · 05-23-2008, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psychographic

Very good way of putting it Aqua. I actually had bristleworms save a Zoa frag I obtained, it was in bad shape when I got it and was going downhill fast, the BW's got a hold of the dying polyps, ate them leaving the somewhat healthy ones and the frag regained it's health and flourished. I think if they had not eaten the bad polyps, whatever had infected them would have spread to the remaining ones.

I had an 8'" one in my tank for quite a while, I did remove it, as I feared it would run out of food and look to my corals to feed on.

If you look at any of my pics, you have about a 95% chance of seeing a BW in it, my tank has tons of them. I have yet to see a healthy coral harmed by any of them.

There you go psycnographic...... Balance!!!

johnmaloney · 05-25-2008, 11:44 PM

Gross, and ugly! Get big and nasty I hate them with a passion. It may be an irrational feeling, but there it is!

Give me a tank full of hydroids rather than bristle worms. Have to have them crawl on me, (and the fireworms have stung me), when I look under rocks in the ocean....

Charlesr1958 · 05-26-2008, 09:29 PM

As with everything, it all depends on the species. Thankfully 99% of the species we are most likely to encounter hitching in on/in live rock are beneficial and pose no risk. As per the population levels, your system's supply of their food will determine that.

A Hitch Hikers Guide to the Reefs

Chuck

bschuerman · 05-27-2008, 01:43 PM

There are some species of bristle worm that are harmful. If only I could remember their names.. but chances are pretty slim that anyone has one of those species in their tanks. If I remember right there are only 2 types of bristle worms that should not be in a reef tank. All of the other ones are beneficial. I agree also on the whole the dumpster will be tempting if they can't find food. A lot of creatures are that way though! Look at starfish and crabs / hermits...

**Deepwater** · 05-31-2008, 10:39 AM

Thanks for the input guys , I dont see any issue w/the ones i have in my tank. and with so many in the tank and none bothering the corals . They are harmless in my book. Just wanted to see what ppl had to say abou tthese wormys

Thanks