Help me identify if good or bad bristle worm

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Hi All,

I have different kinds of bristle worms on my tank. Mostly the usual and regular bristle worms we see on these forums, but today I managed to snatch a photo of the ones that I'm kinda worried about. They are much wider and usually longer than regular bristle worms and the bristles look bigger and whiter, but they do not have the red coloration of the fire worms.

Could you guys help me identify if this is a good or bad bristle worm.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Webslinger]

good if you like bristle worms

 

[RedFrog211]

Honestly, with it being that big, I’d vote remove it. Maybe you can set up a water bottle trap with some food in it and leave it overnight?

 

[TnFishwater98]

Ive never seen that pattern on the common bristle worms Ive seen. Crazy looking

 

[nanonøkk]

i think thats big enough to where you can take it out but i’m pretty sure that’s a normal bristle worm

 

[ReefBridge]

They look like a bristle worm that you shouldn’t need to worry about. It’s not a fireworm. I don’t generally like regular bristle worms but I’ve had tanks with them in there and they haven’t caused any problems.

I got an emerald crab at one point and I don’t know if the crab was eating the worms or just stopping them from foraging, but the population dropped after the crab arrived.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It’s a bristleworm and a big one ! I’d personally discard, however do not handle it unless you’re wearing gloves, I prefer aqua tongs

 

[KJ]

Hi All,

I have different kinds of bristle worms on my tank. Mostly the usual and regular bristle worms we see on these forums, but today I managed to snatch a photo of the ones that I'm kinda worried about. They are much wider and usually longer than regular bristle worms and the bristles look bigger and whiter, but they do not have the red coloration of the fire worms.

Could you guys help me identify if this is a good or bad bristle worm.

Thanks in advance!

Pherecardia striata (Lined fireworm)

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

At that size and with the red ring around the bristles at the base of the worm I’m voting for fireworm. Either way at that size it needs to be removed and murdered. The larger bristle worms, even the good ones, can start to prey on small fishes. I’d kill the large ones and get an arrow crab or corris wrasse to take out the smaller ones.

 

[Rickybobby]

I know there good but they scare me and I remove. A month ago we had a power outage the tank went down to 68f. It caused all the worms to come out of hiding and I axed them all!

 

[goggs29]

Put a saddle on it and ride it back to the lost city of Atlantis

 

[Brooke24]

Pherecardia striata (Lined fireworm)

Yikes

 

[MichaelReefer]

I dont have many Bristle worms (only a few hanging out in my refugium), but once they get over a few inches big I always pick them out.

 

[don_chuwish]

When I had those I also had a lot of empty snail shells near their hiding places.

 

[User1]

Does it have a leather jacket on? Seems all the bad boys have leather jackets on... I don't know, just a thought

 

[I’m Batman]

Dude I was not expecting that photo.... holy crap that gives me the heebee jeebeez...

always pick them out

How? Anytime I go near bristle worms they quickly slide back into the hole they’re hiding in.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Dude I was not expecting that photo.... holy crap that gives me the heebee jeebeez...



How? Anytime I go near bristle worms they quickly slide back into the hole they’re hiding in.

I dont have them in my Display that I've ever seen, only in my Refugium. I have rubble in my Refugium so I just reach in with my super long tweezers.

 

[I’m Batman]

That’s a surprisingly clean looking refugium pic.

 

[dochow]

Not to hijack, just want to confirm this is a fireworm. I just pulled it from my live rock that is in QT.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not to hijack, just want to confirm this is a fireworm. I just pulled it from my live rock that is in QT.

yes and i would discard