Help Outwit My Worms

[Roboson]

I got a really barnacle cave rock combo from my LFS months ago before I had any idea what I was doing. Anyhow, it was infested with giant bristleworms. Some are crazy long, stretching far across my sand bed. Their beady tiny eyes station hungrily. They even steal food from my 10 inch brittle star.

Anyhow, I'm upgrading to a larger tank and don't want these giant worms to follow, but they're all over my tank inside of rocks and the sandbed. Is there a way to get all of the good stuff I want out of my tank without getting bristle worms?

 

[Davesgt]

I leave the small ones alone because they are good for your aquarium, but the monsters you can wait about 15 minutes after lights go out and put a small bit of food in the tank and grab them with tongs when they leave the hole they are in. I use to set with a red light and pick them out. For some reason they don't run when you use a red light.

 

[Davesgt]

Anyone else got any ideas to help control them [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG]

 

[kschweer]

I've seen people take a pair of panty hose and cut the foot off. Then take a piece of shrimp and put it inside and tie it off. Put this in the tank after the lights go out. In the morning the bristle worms should be "stuck" to it by their bristles. Carefully remove it all.

 

[Tahoe61]

I've seen people take a pair of panty hose and cut the foot off. Then take a piece of shrimp and put it inside and tie it off. Put this in the tank after the lights go out. In the morning the bristle worms should be "stuck" to it by their bristles. Carefully remove it all.

^ This and try to limit the amount of food introduced to the tank.
Arrow crabs will eat large bristle worms like candy.

 

[Roboson]

The problem was, because they came from a different tank that over fed, they got huge. But I'm afraid to starve them out because they are so big and I'd never get all their rotting corpses out.

I don't even have to wait until night, mine wiggle out during the day whenever there is food in the tank.

Arrow crab sounds nice, but won't they eat other things beside the bristleworms?

 

[Naiad]

Move them to a sump.

Meet bob

 

[Roboson]

Yeah that's what mine look like, but there's about 8 of them in my ten gallon. Plus smaller ones.

Here's a small one ripping food away from my brittle star.

 

[Naiad]

Bob has a friend down in the sump just as big and I got one in the dt too. If your going to do an upgrade make sure you have your important inverts out (starfish) stack the rock in a tub or bucket and let it cool. The worms will go dormant and be easily washed out.

 

[Roboson]

Bob has a friend down in the sump just as big and I got one in the dt too. If your going to do an upgrade make sure you have your important inverts out (starfish) stack the rock in a tub or bucket and let it cool. The worms will go dormant and be easily washed out.

What do you mean by easily washed out?

 

[Naiad]

Dunking the rock a few times they should fall out in curled up balls.

 

[Roboson]

Dunk in salt water? Or fresh?

 

[Naiad]

Salt is fine. You won't get them 100% but the cold makes them sluggish

 

[Roboson]

I also have a spaghetti worm I want to get into the new tank (when it's ready) would this method work on him as well?

 

[Naiad]

It might. Never really paid much attention to them. You could also try a hypersalinity dip. That is what was recommended to me to flush a eunice worm out.