SlugSnorter
2500 Club Member
pink streaked are hard, so be careful. They are super shy and need very docile tanks.
Bristles in fish, how to remove some huge bristle worms?
- Thread starter Reffetsevla
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SlugSnorter
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does he have a pistol shrimp?
Reffetsevla
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Thanks for the warning! I'll do some extra digging into them some.
Reffetsevla
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Yes he does! Little Candy Cane Pistol, been together about 2 months, little more
SlugSnorter
2500 Club Member
once the pistol gets bigger, it can prob help fight the worms.
i cant think
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It’s not so much the tank as when they’re established they hold their own. They do need a docile introduction though, also make sure its eating before taking it home.
Reffetsevla
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I was looking into getting a second or larger one. I've seen a number of cases where there's two pistols to one goby, but I've also seen some where they fight to the death lol
PR_nano
Valuable Member
Peppermint shrimp can also go after bristle worm depending on size. But could also go after corals.
You should definitely do a build thread. I have the same tank and some of the same livestock would follow your progress.
You should definitely do a build thread. I have the same tank and some of the same livestock would follow your progress.
SlugSnorter
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best not to IMO.
Reffetsevla
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Kind of what I've been leaning towards. Seems more likely they'd fight than bond and I'd rather not send livestock to their deaths knowingly if I can help it lol
Tired
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Anthropomorphising an animal and then using that as an excuse to kill it in a painful way ain't a great look. They didn't choose to be there, and they didn't intentionally hurt the fish.
Reffetsevla
Active Member
Actually looks like he got the bristles dislodged, there's a small white mark where they were (I'll watch for infection) but think he'll be alright.
Going to make a very long PVC trap with openings only at the ends and see if I cant catch some of these bigger ones.
Going to make a very long PVC trap with openings only at the ends and see if I cant catch some of these bigger ones.
CoralB
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I have kept and still keep cryptic wrasses and wouldn’t get them for ridding your tank of bristle worms as I have yet to ever see them eat one . They hide and sleep at night plus it would have to be a very small small small bristle worm if they did and if their in the sand or under rocks they won’t go after them . They are great to have but I wouldn’t count on them for this solution . If you do get one I highly recommend that you put a lid or netting over the tank for a couple months as in a new environment they will just if spooked . The one I have now I’ve had for over two years and he doesn’t jump but when I first got him he jumped the first night . Fortunately I saw him and put him back in the tank . After about two months I removed the netting and no worries .
Reffetsevla
Active Member
The Wrasse is more for the flatworms I keep seeing lol They're the little brown ones but I believe the Cryptic would eat those.
Bristle Worms are another issue, just happened to have one of those on order when it was mentioned was all
Reffetsevla
Active Member
I will definitely consider this option. Obviously small amounts, but might try hitting them with some. Thx!
Reffetsevla
Active Member
Monster bristle worm in 20g IM Fusion
youtube.com
Got a video of one of the big ones. I actually was able to remove him and the one under the overhang last night. Had to work late for a maintenance and caught them both fully out of the rocks. Grabbed my tongs quickly lol Still plenty in there, but these ones were occupying caves my YWG liked to use. Since their removal I have seen him and his pistol under the overhang for the first time in weeks. Definitely were impacting the goby and shrimp's ability to move in their tunnels. Glad to be rid of a few of the big ones.
Tired
2500 Club Member
Is the video blurry, or is that my Internet connection acting up? If it's blurry, got any clear photos? That looks like the same coloration as the common bristleworms in the hobby, but it's awful big for one.
I'm sure the goby and shrimp are happy to have them gone. Pistols will kill tiny bristleworms, and my old YWG had a go at eating small ones a couple of times (they'd curl up in his mouth and he'd eventually spit them out), but something that big has gotta be pretty concerning for such a little critter.
I'm sure the goby and shrimp are happy to have them gone. Pistols will kill tiny bristleworms, and my old YWG had a go at eating small ones a couple of times (they'd curl up in his mouth and he'd eventually spit them out), but something that big has gotta be pretty concerning for such a little critter.
Reffetsevla
Active Member
haha internet acting up, it's in 4k @ 60 fps
Yea it's a normal bristleworm but extended like that HAD to be 20" after going through the rocks. Never had them that big but I've been feeding really heavy to try and keep my NO3 and PO4 up more, but it's just not cutting it. I'm going to have to start dosing some PO4/NO3. All I'm doing is creating a bunch of algae and risking a cyano outbreak. I tried without skimmer, fuge off, I was feeding Reef Chili twice a day and flakes four times a day along with a 1/2 mysis cube every other day. Like this is just a 20g that should have my NO3 and PO4 spiking after a week+ of that with the Fuge off and skimmer barely pulling anything, just making bubbles. Nope, barely registering PO4 and NO3 is dipping <5 consistently. Got Sechem Flourish Phosphorus I've been using to bring PO4 up as needed and the Brightwell Neo Nitrate for NO3. They both seem to work well, just looks like I'm going to have to do a combination of moderately heavy feeding and light dosing to keep them from bottoming out. Time to get a couple more dosing pumps lol
i cant think
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After watching that video and seeing how the tail doesn’t taper… that no longer looks like a bristleworm however I can’t see the face to confirm it’s what I believe. It looks to me like a Eunicid species, they can go years undiscovered even if fish don’t go missing.
In many cases, getting rid of them is a nightmare and it does end up being people have to get rid of the rock. I cant tell if the bristles are being used as feet though. Eunice worms use their legs to walk and can go at quite some speed. I’ve combatted about 5 in the whole 10+ years I’ve been in this hobby.
Bristleworms will have their tail taper however Eunicid species do not have a tapered tail, you will often know of the Eunice species as Bobbitworms however it’s usually only 1 species commonly seen, Eunice aphroditois. The other species can often come in though.
This is just from my eye without glasses on (Screw eyesight). Hopefully if you can get a photo of the face we can rule out bobbitworm.
In many cases, getting rid of them is a nightmare and it does end up being people have to get rid of the rock. I cant tell if the bristles are being used as feet though. Eunice worms use their legs to walk and can go at quite some speed. I’ve combatted about 5 in the whole 10+ years I’ve been in this hobby.
Bristleworms will have their tail taper however Eunicid species do not have a tapered tail, you will often know of the Eunice species as Bobbitworms however it’s usually only 1 species commonly seen, Eunice aphroditois. The other species can often come in though.
This is just from my eye without glasses on (Screw eyesight). Hopefully if you can get a photo of the face we can rule out bobbitworm.
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