Am I crazy for wanting bristle worms???

[BriDroid]

I'm really trying to decide if I want to add some? My tanks in the past have always had them since they were setup with real ocean live rock. This last tank was setup sterile, dry rock and "live" bagged sand. Now that I'm feeding LRS Reef Frenzy, there is a TON of leftover "shells" and other stuff left on the rock/sand. Would bristle worms eat that leftover stuff? I also have a small yellow banded shrimp that I think would enjoy hunting them down. Are there really any downsides to having them, other than they can get big, which I can take those guys out.

 

[Lavey29]

They will show up on their own eventually and are a good part of the sand cleaner crew.

 

[LiquidSpace]

You’ll get extremes on both sides. Some people want to burn them, others want to snuggle with them.

I fall into the give me spaghetti worms spectrum.

 

[BriDroid]

I never had a problem with them in the past, other than they are ULGY :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[Lavey29]

If you ever think you are getting over populated with them just add a banded shrimp to keep the numbers in check.

 

[BriDroid]

If you ever think you are getting over populated with them just add a banded shrimp to keep the numbers in check.

I already have one of the smaller yellow ones with the red legs.

 

[TheLegendaryBarlowe072]

I have a ton you could have. I bought a second tank off FB marketplace because I wanted some of the equiptment in the setup. It was absolutely infested with them some 6 inches or longer. I manually removed most of the big ones. But I now have a tank running in my basement that is strictly there to keep the rock and and worms alive until I get the motivation to list the rock for sale. lol Im just breeding them down there. My GF loves my DT in the living room but when she saw the worms in the second tank she said if I ever get them in the main tank I have to take it to the street. SSSSShhhh dont tell her the reality of having a tank long term.

 

[Subsea]

Bristle worms are good detrivores. Spaghetti worms are good suspension feeders. Both contribute to microbial food web by recycling nutrients.

 

[kevgib67]

Bristle worms are good detrivores. Spaghetti worms are good suspension feeders. Both contribute to microbial food web by recycling nutrients.

Back when I started in the mid 90’s all the corals came on pieces of live rock. So much diversity! A year in this go around nothing so I ordered both spaghetti and bristle worms from a vendor in Hawaii. I think both are an important members of my cuc.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@BristleWormHater has some great opinions about bristle worms haha.

 

[rhitee93]

They will show up on their own eventually and are a good part of the sand cleaner crew.

I started with dry rock, but have seen quite a few bristle worms in my system. They hitchhiked in on something. Saw a 6" one in the sump the other day. I just let them be.

 

[Freenow54]

I'm really trying to decide if I want to add some? My tanks in the past have always had them since they were setup with real ocean live rock. This last tank was setup sterile, dry rock and "live" bagged sand. Now that I'm feeding LRS Reef Frenzy, there is a TON of leftover "shells" and other stuff left on the rock/sand. Would bristle worms eat that leftover stuff? I also have a small yellow banded shrimp that I think would enjoy hunting them down. Are there really any downsides to having them, other than they can get big, which I can take those guys out.

I have dozens never seen them eat shells but will eat dead snails. Also I have seen 3 times now where they will groom the coral of algae and not harm the coral

 

[BriDroid]

I have dozens never seen them eat shells but will eat dead snails. Also I have seen 3 times now where they will groom the coral of algae and not harm the coral

The shells I'm talking about are the pieces of leftover mysis, etc that are in the Reef Frenzy food.

 

[Freenow54]

The shells I'm talking about are the pieces of leftover mysis, etc that are in the Reef Frenzy food.

I don't know. Let me know

 

[BristleWormHater]

@BristleWormHater has some great opinions about bristle worms haha.

I'm so done with these buggers, they are EVERYWHERE!!!

 

[kevgib67]

I'm so done with these buggers, they are EVERYWHERE!!!

Did you try them debrislted and sautéed in butter and garlic like I suggested?

 

[BristleWormHater]

Did you try them debrislted and sautéed in butter and garlic like I suggested?

Cat ate them before I threw them in the pan :(

 

[Double monti 61]

No!