Bristle Worm Erradication!

G Santana

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Correct me if im wrong but what's the issue with keeping a clam with bristle worms though they wouldnt eat a healthy clam i dont think would they? I have a few bristleworms I've seen not sure how many but never had a problem with my clams.
Bristle worms will only eat the dying or dead, in my first tank I had 3 clams with tons of bristle worms, they never went after a healthy clam.
If you find them unsightly get an arrow crab, they love to munch on bristle worms.
 

FishOkay

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Bristle worms will only eat the dying or dead, in my first tank I had 3 clams with tons of bristle worms, they never went after a healthy clam.
If you find them unsightly get an arrow crab, they love to munch on bristle worms.
Ah yeah thought so, I don't mind them as much. They are all part of the little self contained eco system for me. I think biodiversity is a good thing unless the things clash.
 

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Sure I can take a pic under whites but it won't be till tomorrow when I'm off work around lunch when the whites come on. Yes I love ozone this is the 1st nano I've tried it on, it's not an aio, it's drilled w/ a 10g diy sump and a filter roller.If you have never used ozone you must try it the benefits are astounding. Even just not having to clean the glass as often is a luxury for me. I understand your pov on bw being detrivores they most definitely are. In this rare case where I took the rock out of a 75 mixed that was being fed daily to a 14g nano that's never fed nothing but seaweed. They're starving to death and being opportunistic feeders the clam stood no chance. Yea I was thinking of putting all the live coral in a container and bathing the rock and sand in tank with a worm poison return pump being off, then rinsing all the rock and substrate real good with a hose. Who knows though might just leave it how it is and just not put a clam in there I'd have to move the clam after a year anyway.

I have used ozone 25 years ago. Twenty years ago, as I operate larger systems, I opted for less technology and more biology and removed ozone and protein skimmers. I use bacteria, algae and cryptic sponges to operate high nutrient mixed garden lagoons with focus on invertebrates like anemones, mushrooms, scallops, apples and ornamental sponges from GOM & Caribbean.

This 75G display with 30G cryptic refugium with mud filter crawling with worms is 25 years mature. I use the refugium to recycle inorganic & organic nutrients into live food to feed hungry mouths.

image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg
 
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Ah yeah thought so, I don't mind them as much. They are all part of the little self contained eco system for me. I think biodiversity is a good thing unless the things clash.

I have used ozone 25 years ago. Twenty years ago, as I operate larger systems, I opted for less technology and more biology and removed ozone and protein skimmers. I use bacteria, algae and cryptic sponges to operate high nutrient mixed garden lagoons with focus on invertebrates like anemones, mushrooms, scallops, apples and ornamental sponges from GOM & Caribbean.

This 75G display with 30G cryptic refugium with mud filter crawling with worms is 25 years mature. I use the refugium to recycle inorganic & organic nutrients into live food to feed hungry mouths.

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Oh wow! Beautiful! I especially love the sea apple and flame scallop, theyre just so interesting to watch. And the shot with the hippo tang just cruising through his underwater paradise is awesome he looks so happy. And the gorgonians so beautiful such an under appreciated coral. Your tank us growing in wonderfully. I can't wait till mine grows in a little. The tank is 9 months old but I've only had corals in there for 3months still adding stuff. The wwc jellybean & date night goni r only 2 weeks old. Yes thats pretty much what I did with the tank before this one. Only filtration I had was some filter floss and a skimmer,deep sand bed big refugium, mangroves. I loved that tank so simple. Here's some shots of it. With this little nano I'm just automating everything. So I never have to touch nothing besides clean the glass. A new kind of simple
 

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FreeEnergyReefer

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Put one of this in all my tanks. No more bristle worn issues
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Dude Thankyou! I knew someone had to have an alternate solution. So did some research on these guys and along as u get the right species they will only hunt worms. I will try one and luk what happens. I really don't mind them I would just like too cut their #'s down a bit. Thanks much
 

Dburr1014

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Hello all. I set up a aqueon 14g frameless for a nano tank in the bedroom. Drilled w/ a 10g diy sump. I use Filter roller,carbon,ceramic media,mb7,uv, & ozone for filtration. Kessil 360x for lighting,1 ai Nero 3 + the random flow generator nozzle for flow. My parameters are:
Alk-7.3
PH-8.0
Po4 - .04
No3-18.7
Cal-380
Mag-1370
I house a pair of tailspot blennies for fish, 4 emerald crabs,2 tuxedo urchins, & 6 snails
This is what I feed to the tank;
sea veggies (purple or green) daily
Phytoplankton daily
LPS & SPS Aminos every other day
me coral & brightwell powder coral food once a week.
I got the bristle worms from the rock I used It came from a 75g mixed reef which didn't seem to have any worms a month after I put the rock in I seen them everywhere and now being in this little tank they're starving.
I love this tank everything is going perfect n I barely have to do anything but at the same time I'm ready to swap the rock and substrate out for new save what coral I can and start over all because of these dang things. I can't own a clam because they will devour it overnight, and they harass my blennies from time to time. The no clam issue is a big one for me my reef tank is not complete without one. I have tried an arrow crab got a really small baby one and he was doing great but I decided to take him out because he was getting to big stomping on corals and trying to eat my fish. That little tank is too small for an arrow crab. I've thought about a wrasse but imo my fish load is at max now they probably wouldn't get along and said wrasse would only eat the tiny ones. I have a bristle worm trap but it only catches small ones and is a pain in the butt to bait every single evening and put in the tank and that would never eradicate all of them anywayz. So I am open to ideas and suggestions. My daughter loves this Lil tank she calls it hers and she's only 2n a half.
They don't bother my clam.
If you trap some, send them to me. They are great at cleaning up the tank.
A healthy clam won't be bothered by them, BTW.
Clams also need some white light. You are very blue on your tank.
 

Dburr1014

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I've only tried 1 clam in the system and it was a baby durasa. It lasted 2 days looked beautiful and healthy both days and on the 3rd day when the lights came on there was nothing there but an empty shell. It was completely devoured overnight. Here's the clam. So I'd say yes absolutely they will eat a healthy clam if they're starving.
Having a clam for 2 days does not mean it was healthy and thriving. It just means you had a clam for 2 days.
Now if you had it for 6 months and was eaten by worms, then they are a problem.
 
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FreeEnergyReefer

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They don't bother my clam.
If you trap some, send them to me. They are great at cleaning up the tank.
A healthy clam won't be bothered by them, BTW.
Clams also need some white light. You are very blue on your tank.
I'm happy for you they've never eaten any of mine until now. Since your so sure just send me your clam and I'll video what happens
Having a clam for 2 days does not mean it was healthy and thriving. It just means you had a clam for 2 days.
Now if you had it for 6 months and was eaten by worms, then they are a problem.
Thriving at 10pm to an empty shell at 6am could have been nothing else. I don't know why I'm even wasting my time replying to this bs. Just because it has never happened to you before doesn't mean it hasn't happened to anyone else in the world. Open your mind, this is an ever evolving hobby that we are all trying to help each other improve on.
 

Dburr1014

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I'm happy for you they've never eaten any of mine until now. Since your so sure just send me your clam and I'll video what happens

Thriving at 10pm to an empty shell at 6am could have been nothing else. I don't know why I'm even wasting my time replying to this bs. Just because it has never happened to you before doesn't mean it hasn't happened to anyone else in the world. Open your mind, this is an ever evolving hobby that we are all trying to help each other improve on.
Again, 2 days you had the clam. Nevermind, good luck.
 

FishOkay

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I actually had a similar issue with a small crocea clam which one morning there was nothing left of but a shell.
I have no doubt it was eaten but after it died as I have been successfuly keeping them since, not a crocea again but maxima, derasa and hippopus.
Clams are notoriously difficult to gauge on how healthy they are until they are dead. New growth is really the only good indicator imo.
I personally don't think 2 days is enough to tell if the clam was healthy most likely it died and then was eaten.
 

Dburr1014

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I actually had a similar issue with a small crocea clam which one morning there was nothing left of but a shell.
I have no doubt it was eaten but after it died as I have been successfuly keeping them since, not a crocea again but maxima, derasa and hippopus.
Clams are notoriously difficult to gauge on how healthy they are until they are dead. New growth is really the only good indicator imo.
I personally don't think 2 days is enough to tell if the clam was healthy most likely it died and then was eaten.
100% agree. You said it more eloquently than me.
 

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Bristle worms are ubiquitous in reef tank. They are great scavengers and never hurt anything. Rather than trying to remove the worms, I would add various worm species to the tank for health of the tank and diversity.
 

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With that small of a tank, a rip clean would be ideal. Put live stuff in a 5G bucket, remove all water to be reused when finished. Remove all sand and flush with freshwater. I use a garden hose with sufficient velocity to flush out stuff. Return sand to tank, At this point I would give infested live rock a 10 minute bath with a 10% solution of 3% peroxide. This will kill all micro inverts including bristle worms, spaghetti worms. amphipods, Copepods, & micro starfish, as well as all algae. Coral slime protects corals from this strong oxidizer.

PS: Coral slime, fish slime and original water from tank will inoculate tank with bacteria.

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Why four emerald crabs in such a small tank? Would you post a picture of this tank?
I am trying to understand your peroxide solution. Are you mixing with saltwater and will it kill bacteria also? You say coral slime protects corals. Does this mean dipping them in peroxide is ok? @Subsea
 

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You do not need and should not eradicate bristle worms from your system. It is impossible and in addition to this they are very beneficial to your system and add a lot to it’s stability.
 

Sebastiancrab

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You do not need and should not eradicate bristle worms from your system. It is impossible and in addition to this they are very beneficial to your system and add a lot to it’s stability.
Yes, I am aware of this. I hate them and they will be eradicated.
 

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I am trying to understand your peroxide solution. Are you mixing with saltwater and will it kill bacteria also? You say coral slime protects corals. Does this mean dipping them in peroxide is ok? @Subsea
Peroxide is a strong oxidizer as is ozone & chlorine. Coral slime & fish slime are the primary defense against pathogens. If you put peroxide on your skin, nothing happens. However, when the skin is broken and you put peroxide on organic flesh, peroxide will bubble as it eats thru organics. Coral slime & fish slime are their skin, however if you soaked too long you could eat thru the slime. I specified a 10 minute bath. If this concerns you, then soak for 5 minutes. I have done this for 10 years with no ill effects.

I don’t know much about bacteria response to peroxide. I suspect all bacteria on surface would be oxidized.
 

OrionN

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Hello all. I set up a aqueon 14g frameless for a nano tank in the bedroom. Drilled w/ a 10g diy sump. I use Filter roller,carbon,ceramic media,mb7,uv, & ozone for filtration. Kessil 360x for lighting,1 ai Nero 3 + the random flow generator nozzle for flow. My parameters are:
Alk-7.3
PH-8.0
Po4 - .04
No3-18.7
Cal-380
Mag-1370
I house a pair of tailspot blennies for fish, 4 emerald crabs,2 tuxedo urchins, & 6 snails
This is what I feed to the tank;
sea veggies (purple or green) daily
Phytoplankton daily
LPS & SPS Aminos every other day
me coral & brightwell powder coral food once a week.
I got the bristle worms from the rock I used It came from a 75g mixed reef which didn't seem to have any worms a month after I put the rock in I seen them everywhere and now being in this little tank they're starving.
I love this tank everything is going perfect n I barely have to do anything but at the same time I'm ready to swap the rock and substrate out for new save what coral I can and start over all because of these dang things. I can't own a clam because they will devour it overnight, and they harass my blennies from time to time. The no clam issue is a big one for me my reef tank is not complete without one. I have tried an arrow crab got a really small baby one and he was doing great but I decided to take him out because he was getting to big stomping on corals and trying to eat my fish. That little tank is too small for an arrow crab. I've thought about a wrasse but imo my fish load is at max now they probably wouldn't get along and said wrasse would only eat the tiny ones. I have a bristle worm trap but it only catches small ones and is a pain in the butt to bait every single evening and put in the tank and that would never eradicate all of them anywayz. So I am open to ideas and suggestions. My daughter loves this Lil tank she calls it hers and she's only 2n a half.
I 18+ inches worms in my tank and I got clams too. Trying to eradicated worms from your tank is misguided. I keep reef tanks for nearly 3 decades and marine aquarium for 45 years. Believe me. The worms are what make the live rock LIVE. Eradicated the worms is misguided and only cause trouble for your tank.
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