Help with ID, friend or foe?

[Reefer_kano]

My blenny is becoming a Pita and messing with my zoas so i had to move some rocks around and i found this...
Good, bad? Set it on fire, put it back in the tank?
Thank you.

 

[blaxsun]

It's definitely a bristleworm and probably a fireworm, so burn, drop the remnants in acid and then burn again!

 

[StatelineReefer]

It would appear that advice is mixed on bristleworms, which this is. Many say it's a beneficial part of the clean up crew that feed on bacterial floc, detritus, and uneaten food and waste. Others liken them to a mix between a porcupine, badger, and graboid, assigning malice where there is none.

They're simply scavengers, and if you have them in your tank, I advise nitrile gloves to protect against accidental contact, as the bristles are quite sharp and tend to stick in the skin like fiberglass. Of course, I advise nitrile gloves in the tank anyways to avoid accidental contamination.

 

[Reefer_kano]

Ok, so now im confused.
So they really arent bad?, just more for me if i happen to touch one?

 

[Labridaedicted]

Just a bristleworm. They're scavengers that tend to get a bad rep in the hobby. If you grab them, they will deposit spines in you that can be painful, but otherwise, if you don't mind the look of them, they're harmless

 

[Reefer_kano]

Just a bristleworm. They're scavengers that tend to get a bad rep in the hobby. If you grab them, they will deposit spines in you that can be painful, but otherwise, if you don't mind the look of them, they're harmless

Thank you!

 

[Jared Bryant]

Back in the day we would beg for them from people breaking their tanks down lol.

 

[Reefer_kano]

Ok so what type of worms are actually not wanted in your tank? Pictures?

 

[vetteguy53081]

My blenny is becoming a Pita and messing with my zoas so i had to move some rocks around and i found this...
Good, bad? Set it on fire, put it back in the tank?
Thank you.

Although not welcome in my tanks, its a common bristleworm that eats uneaten food and detritus and considered part of cleanup crew

 

[Labridaedicted]

Ok so what type of worms are actually not wanted in your tank? Pictures?

Bobbit worms and fire worms are the Annelids I'd dislike in my system. Most others are harmless.

There are a number of flatworms that are bad although not true "worms"

 

[HBtank]

Friend, some people just don’t like creepy crawlies

 

[Labridaedicted]

And the difference between fire worms and bristle worms is pretty apparent when you see then in a side by side despite being often interchanged. Fire worms have INFINITELY more painful stings and will irritate corals and get much much bigger. Their spines appear in tufts rather than the more uniform distribution of a bristle worm. I don't often see fire worms in reef tanks, but it is possible. See them when I'm diving though and give them a pretty wide berth (after I get way too close to get then in the videos)

Bristleworm

Fireworm

 

[AydenLincoln]

My solution for all the worms in my tank!

 

[Reefer_kano]

And the difference between fire worms and bristle worms is pretty apparent when you see then in a side by side despite being often interchanged. Fire worms have INFINITELY more painful stings and will irritate corals and get much much bigger. Their spines appear in tufts rather than the more uniform distribution of a bristle worm. I don't often see fire worms in reef tanks, but it is possible. See them when I'm diving though and give them a pretty wide berth (after I get way too close to get then in the videos)

Bristleworm

Fireworm

Thank you for the images, they are very helpful

 

[Auquanut]

Just going to throw in my two cents. Looks like a typical bristle worm to me. They are detritus eaters and pose no serious threat to your reef in most instances. They are actually beneficial as part of a CUC.

They can multiply and become an eyesore if you feed heavily, and your tank supports a large population without a predator to keep the population down.

My melanaurus wrasse tends to keep the population in check. I have rarely seen a bristle worm in the DT, although they are more than evident in the refugium. Mel does a heck of a job.

Hope this helps.

 

[Reefer_kano]

Just going to throw in my two cents. Looks like a typical bristle worm to me. They are detritus eaters and pose no serious threat to your reef in most instances. They are actually beneficial as part of a CUC.

They can multiply and become an eyesore if you feed heavily, and your tank supports a large population without a predator to keep the population down.

My melanaurus wrasse tends to keep the population in check. I have rarely seen a bristle worm in the DT, although they are more than evident in the refugium. Mel does a heck of a job.

Hope this helps.

Im all for anything that going to help with detritus so at least ill know next time.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Ok so what type of worms are actually not wanted in your tank? Pictures?

There are tons of threads about that already, and a nice hitchhiker guide at the top of the forum page...

 

[Reefer_kano]

There are tons of threads about that already, and a nice hitchhiker guide at the top of the forum page...

Thanks for you input