How to remove bristle/fire worm from zoa garden?

Dark_Knightt

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I was checking on my mini zoa garden, and I am 100% certain I saw a fairly large, bristle or fireworm. As soon as I saw it, it started to slither back into the crack of the rock the zoas are on. The worm definitely had the signature bristles, and it was mostly light pink and white-ish. Any idea if I should remove it? If so, how to I get rid of it? It's in the same rock my zoas are together on.
I've heard people say bristleworms are beneficial, others saying they are a nuisance, so I am not too sure what to do about it.
 

bday1335

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I know certain companies make traps for them, or you could buy an Arrow Crab, they love them!
 
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I know certain companies make traps for them, or you could buy an Arrow Crab, they love them!
I do like the odd look of the arrow crab, my worries are 1. It's a 20g high tank and 2. Will it eat my inverts? I've done some research because I had wanted one originally, but they get quite large and they can be quite predatorial. Also will they eat corals?
 

bday1335

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I do like the odd look of the arrow crab, my worries are 1. It's a 20g high tank and 2. Will it eat my inverts? I've done some research because I had wanted one originally, but they get quite large and they can be quite predatorial. Also will they eat corals?
Always a risk with every crab, just figured I would give you a couple examples if you wanted to remove them.
 

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If you can isolate what rock its in I can tell you bristleworms hate melafix. A quick 5 minute dip should take care of it with a quickness.
 
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Dark_Knightt

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If you can isolate what rock its in I can tell you bristleworms hate melafix. A quick 5 minute dip should take care of it with a quickness.
The rock is already isolated on the sandbed, I basically took the zoas (which were glued onto rocks which fit together like a neat puzzle) and connected them all, so it would be easy to remove them if I had to.
 

king aiptasia

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I was checking on my mini zoa garden, and I am 100% certain I saw a fairly large, bristle or fireworm. As soon as I saw it, it started to slither back into the crack of the rock the zoas are on. The worm definitely had the signature bristles, and it was mostly light pink and white-ish. Any idea if I should remove it? If so, how to I get rid of it? It's in the same rock my zoas are together on.
I've heard people say bristleworms are beneficial, others saying they are a nuisance, so I am not too sure what to do about it.
leave it, you'd be wasting your time, I've never heard of any amphinomidae eating healthy zoas yet
 

John A!10

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If it’s a firework remove it with a turkey baster. It’s going to be painful if you accidentally touch it while working on the tank. I’ve removed many bristleworms at night with a flashlight and tweezers. I usually look around and lift the rock I see them on.
 

mdb_talon

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Leave it. Unless you are grabbing piles of rock rubble the chances of touching one are slim to none. They are a free cleanup crew whose population is limited by the amount of excess food in the tank.

Buying something that is possibly reef safe in order to eliminate something that is reef safe just seems odd to me.
 

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It's a bristle worm, they are harmless unless you lick them. Honestly, everyone freaks out over bristle worms and for no good reason. They are part of the CUC and will never eat healthy living tissue or coral. If you absolutely need to remove them, then simply put some food in a piece of panty hose and let them get tangled up, then carefully remove the trap. Or, just let them be.
 
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Dark_Knightt

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It's a bristle worm, they are harmless unless you lick them. Honestly, everyone freaks out over bristle worms and for no good reason. They are part of the CUC and will never eat healthy living tissue or coral. If you absolutely need to remove them, then simply put some food in a piece of panty hose and let them get tangled up, then carefully remove the trap. Or, just let them be.
Alright well I'll just leave them, although I think they are breeding, I always see little mini larvae on the glass.
 

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Alright well I'll just leave them, although I think they are breeding, I always see little mini larvae on the glass.
Their population is determined by the amount of available food. You would be amazed at the sheer number of bristle worms that reside in our tanks, but it shouldn't be of any concern, unless you're constantly moving rocks or sticking your hands where they don't belong. I know they freak some reefers out, but they serve a vital role in a healthy, thriving ecosystem. Enjoy the free CUC.
 

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I have many bristle worms and a 6 line wrass. I guess he isnt doing his job! I am having some zoas not opening and some are dying! I id leave them in the sand bed acclimating quite a while witting for my frag tank to get ready! Could lack of light be why? I also noticed a worm that looked like a bristle slither off of a few zoas I picked up! Could they be killing them?
 

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I have many bristle worms and a 6 line wrass. I guess he isnt doing his job! I am having some zoas not opening and some are dying! I id leave them in the sand bed acclimating quite a while witting for my frag tank to get ready! Could lack of light be why? I also noticed a worm that looked like a bristle slither off of a few zoas I picked up! Could they be killing them?
Bristle worms will never eat or attack healthy living animals, ever! They are not the cause of coral issues, but their numbers are representative of their food availability. I doubt a sixline would do much in the way of bristle worm control, that’s better left to pseudochromis.
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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I have many bristle worms and a 6 line wrass. I guess he isnt doing his job! I am having some zoas not opening and some are dying! I id leave them in the sand bed acclimating quite a while witting for my frag tank to get ready! Could lack of light be why? I also noticed a worm that looked like a bristle slither off of a few zoas I picked up! Could they be killing them?
Probably better if you start a new thread with your question.
 

minus9

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I have many bristle worms and a 6 line wrass. I guess he isnt doing his job! I am having some zoas not opening and some are dying! I id leave them in the sand bed acclimating quite a while witting for my frag tank to get ready! Could lack of light be why? I also noticed a worm that looked like a bristle slither off of a few zoas I picked up! Could they be killing them?
As far as your zoas go, there's a lot that can cause problems. I would eliminate and confirm that your main parameters are in check and make sure you don't have any fish that would consider them as food? Temp, salinity, lighting, etc.....the list goes on. Maybe you can post a picture (full tank shot and close up) with your whites turned up and blues down. If you have a filter, they will help with getting better pics. If it looks like a bristle worm (with bristles, etc) then mostly likely not a predator, but if the worm is smooth overall, there are many that can cause problems. Also, if you didn't dip your corals/zoas before putting them into your tank, pest can enter and become a problem (this can happen even with dipping).
 

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