Bristle Worm? Safe?

[Ric878]

Just found this guy as I was removing a rock and relocating it to my sump. Is this a bristle worm? Is it safe to keep in the tank?

 

[Peace River]

Yes, that appears to be a bristle worm. You will likely hear a mix of opinions. IMO they can be a helpful part of your clean up crew. On the other hand, they can be problematic if they get too large, over populate, or embed themselves into your finger (speaking for a friend :oops:).

 

[shakacuz]

bristleworm. good cleaner. bad in looks. big ouch with touch.

 

[mdb_talon]

or embed themselves into your finger

Haha I love my free cleanup crew of bristleworms..... but ya I hate that "sting" that lasts for days if you grab one!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Although not welcomed in any of my tanks- its safe. They can grow to easy 12" or more over time.

 

[Ric878]

Although not welcomed in any of my tanks- its safe. They can grow to easy 12" or more over time.

May I ask why they are not welcomed in any of your tanks?

 

[damsels are not mean]

That is not a harmless bristle worm, that's fireworm. Note the red spots where the bristles come out. Those are bad. They are opportunistic hunters that may snack on corals and sick fishes. And their sting is really painful. I would remove it and consider setting traps to see if there are more.

The harmless kinds of bristle worms do not get more than an inch or two but these guys can grow to a foot or more and are not good to have. I have a tank full of bristle worms that I love as they are a CUC that scales up and down as nutrients do and the sting doesn't even hurt (or mabye I have just been lucky)

 

[damsels are not mean]

When people say they don't like or had a bad experience with bristle worms I think they had fireworms and just lumped them together with the smaller detritivores.

 

[Peace River]

Here is an article to consider:

10 Facts Why You Should Keep Bristle Worms In Reef Tank (Photos)

Friend or Foe? The truth about saltwater aquarium bristle worms and fireworms. You simply need to know what type of bristle worm you see in your reef tank.

www.reefhacks.com

 

[Ric878]

That is not a harmless bristle worm, that's fireworm. Note the red spots where the bristles come out. Those are bad. They are opportunistic hunters that may snack on corals and sick fishes. And their sting is really painful. I would remove it and consider setting traps to see if there are more.

The harmless kinds of bristle worms do not get more than an inch or two but these guys can grow to a foot or more and are not good to have. I have a tank full of bristle worms that I love as they are a CUC that scales up and down as nutrients do and the sting doesn't even hurt (or mabye I have just been lucky)

I have added another photo to the original post. I think the first pic may have accentuated certain colors. The second photo is at my desk without the LEDs on my tank. Just want to make sure I don't misidentify this critter.

 

[FurrierTransform]

I have small ones in my live sand bed, and my belief is that they help prevent compaction and allow for a small amount of water circulation, so yes, I think they're beneficial.

 

[damsels are not mean]

I have added another photo to the original post. I think the first pic may have accentuated certain colors. The second photo is at my desk without the LEDs on my tank. Just want to make sure I don't misidentify this critter.

I still think that's a fireworm but eh more research needed I guess. I just figure most of our tanks have many species of bristles and removing ones that might be fireworms or just the larger bristle worms helps select for the better ones. If it is a regular bristle worm you can rest assured more are in there, but if it's a fireworm you might avert a pest by removing it.

 

[Ric878]

I still think that's a fireworm but eh more research needed I guess. I just figure most of our tanks have many species of bristles and removing ones that might be fireworms or just the larger bristle worms helps select for the better ones. If it is a regular bristle worm you can rest assured more are in there, but if it's a fireworm you might avert a pest by removing it.

Well, with that in mind, I will get rid of it and keep an eye out for more. I suppose I will set a trap to see what I get. Thanks.

 

[Elisabeth GER]

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