I think my mel is afraid of the (what I 99.9% suspect) fireworms in my tank, lol. (In his defense, they're way bigger than his mouth and they have some nasty bristles that are like needles). Instead of doing his pest-irradication job, he ignores them and spends his time flipping over and unaliving snails.
There is at least one variety seen in the hobby that does eat coral... But the vast majority don't bother coral at allI hate bristle worms because of these two. I kept seeing mushrooms with holes eaten through them and a few almost gone. I caught these two eating holes in them one night. So much for bristle worms not eating coral.
Right?! I had a bristleworm (well most likely a fireworm, but alas they're still a bristleworm) eat mushrooms too. Ugh.I hate bristle worms because of these two. I kept seeing mushrooms with holes eaten through them and a few almost gone. I caught these two eating holes in them one night. So much for bristle worms not eating coral.
That's the main reason that I'm now on a mission to shrink my bristle worm population. My mushroom which shares a home with the worms constantly looks unhappy now. I've also read there are over 10,000 polychaetes, so I don't believe they can be so simply broken down as bristle worms or fire worms.I hate bristle worms because of these two. I kept seeing mushrooms with holes eaten through them and a few almost gone. I caught these two eating holes in them one night. So much for bristle worms not eating coral.
I have a 13 gallon tank and I must have hundreds even though I have no fish and don't feed the coral. A few months ago in an effort to get as many out as possible, I took out a rock a little bigger than a softball and dribbled hydrogen peroxide in all the holes. Almost 50 of them came out. Mostly small. I can't even imagine how many must live in the larger rock. I'm sure the softball rock is full of them again by now too.
I bet you could repeat that process with the softball size rock once a week and significantly reduce the population
Here is a recent unit who is now brooding in the septic tank (collected from hte return chamber)
That's true - that one looks night and day different though from the worms I have that I'm fairly certain are some sort of fireworm. I've heard you'll definitely know if you brush up against one... I don't want to find out, so I don't touch any rocks in my tank without gloves now lol. All of the worms creep me out regardless - just can't leave them because they do irritate my corals and I know the big one really made my nem mad.
Yuuuuuuck... looks like the big one I evicted. The bristles were no joke.Here is a recent unit who is now brooding in the septic tank (collected from hte return chamber)
Oh yeah, I wasn't arguing that what I have is a fire worm. I believe y'all. The point I was trying to make is I think these guys are different than the normal bristle worms I have seen in the past and people say are beneficial. I think these guys are definitely causing trouble.
Totally agree - I don't know what the ones I have are for SURE, but like you, I DO know for sure they are not the normal good CUC, lol. It's unfortunate that they cause issues, because they're super bold and actually come out during daytime and will go after leftover food like nobody's business (unlike what I hear about the regular harmless bristleworms mostly just coming out at night after lights out to scavenge).
