Bristle worms

[Bones]

I would strongly advise against removing all of them but if you insist, arrow crabs will get it done. The added bonus is you get to watch them get manhandled by the crab. First they hunt them down (regardless of the size of the worm) drag them out of where there hiding, and then carry them around all day eating them bit by bit. Sheer entertainment!! You can thank me later...lol

 

[Mike628]

Lol. That sounds pretty cool. I think I will go with the six line or the arrow crab

 

[ReeferBean]

My fingers swell up if I touch one moving rocks or corals, so I always where powder free latex gloves when I'm working in the tank. Well most of the time anyway. I think some people are just more allergic than others.

 

[Shep]

So why do you want to get rid of them so badly?

 

[Mike628]

I dont want to be jabbed. I've heard it feels like fiberglass and I dont want that experience.

 

[Shep]

In all my years I have never been stabbed but if you are worried just wear nitrile gloves, the things you want to put in can cause a list of problems on their own, plus there is no guarantee that they will even eat them. Also bristle worms are ugly but really helpful. I would say that it is not worth it trying to get rid of them.

 

[Bbaz123456]

I agree that they are probably one of the best available members of the cleanup crew and are harmless. There are some out there that grow very large, up to a foot! And those I would not want, but the standard pinkish orange ones(are generally small, less than an inch, up to 2-3) do not have any type of venom or poison. Although you would not want to handle them on purpose, an accidental brushing is not going to hurt you.
If you do decide to try to get rid of them, the arrow crab is the way to go.

 

[Marty.h]

I watch my bristle worms at night and they are hard workers in my opinion and do a great job of getting into the tiny holes in the rock and having a good clear out.

I have even seen one eating a large chunk of left over mussel and they can get to places where a lot of your CUC can't I would happily add more to my system in my opinion as they only come out at night and when ever I handle rock I have gloves on so they pose no issue to me.

As already said the pro's defo outweigh the cons of having them.

 

[klp]

They will come out when the lights are on if they have a large population and are hungry enough. Years ago I had a custom 90 gallon that had way too many. I was advised to watch, I believe, at full moon with lights off and they would swim to the top. They did later in the evening and I netted a considerable quantity. I kept this up and either greatly reduced or eliminated them entirely. This was back in the early 80's. You might give it a try to reduce numbers.

 

[Mike628]

Thank you all. I just want them gone

 

[jasonandsarah]

I bought a Bta the other day and when I unstuck it from the plastic bag it had 3 bristle worms slithering around under the foot! I have never liked bristle worms and things like this just reconfirm it for me, I mean why would they be under the nems foot like that?

 

[Tahoe61]

Over the years I have determined that Bristle Worms are the spiders and snake of the home aquarium. Some hobbyist for what ever reason can not tolerate the idea that their tank is home to Bristle Worms. You can compare it to knowing there is a huge spider behind the toilet paper rolls.

Personally I like pretty much any invert, worms do not gross me out, I do not find them gross looking, I am not bothered by their presence. Some hobbyist are though, extremely bothered. For those reasons, now when I notice a hobbyist has a profound dislike for Bristle Worms I no longer try to reason with that hobbyist, it's their dislike and it's most likely not going to change.

In ending this post I would just like all ya worm haters to know you'll never rid your tank of them completely and forever. Bristle Worms are an important and essential part of the ecosystem.

 

[Mike628]

I understand that completely... although they may be helpful with the clean up crew I just do not want them on my tank. I see no reason for them to be there and they are just a bother to me

 

[jgraz]

I have plenty of bristle worms, never been a problem and I have never once been stuck by one, even the ones that live in the cheato when I harvest and toss. the only fish I have that I have ever seen eat one is my blue spot watchman goby. I have yet to see my 6-line or melanarus wrasse even see one. Remember most brisltle worms will come out after dark when wrasses are either buried in the sand or wrapped up in their little cocoon's.

 

[miyags]

When I did iodine dips they came out of the rock the coral was on, same with a peroxide dip. A good predator for them would be a shrimp or arrow crab, something that hunts at night. Most fish sleep at night.