Too many Bristle worms?

[Flippers4pups]

Be careful disturbing a DSB. Many a tank crash has happened because of it.

The reason your N03 and P04 is low is because of the DSB. It's a denitrator. Good thing.

Course sand beds can trap detritus and give the bristle worms ample food. Their numbers will self regulate depending on available food. So mass deaths of them should never happen. They won't toxify the water column when they die as flatworms may.

 

[Error404]

Agree with the post above , I suggest removing the deep sand bed very slowly , maybe a scoop once a week if that’s the course you want to take

 

[D100]

I don’t think lack of water changes is the problem , I haven’t done a water change in 6 months. I have a mix of sps and softies . What do you usually feed you’re fish and corals ?[/QUOTE
This is what I feed my fish once a day and I feed my coral coralific delite twice a week.

 

[D100]

Be careful disturbing a DSB. Many a tank crash has happened because of it.

The reason your N03 and P04 is low is because of the DSB. It's a denitrator. Good thing.

Course sand beds can trap detritus and give the bristle worms ample food. Their numbers will self regulate depending on available food. So mass deaths of them should never happen. They won't toxify the water column when they die as flatworms may.

That's good to know if they die they wont crash my tank. I do clean my sand bed but only a small portion of it. I have a lot of rock in my tank as well that should keep my levels stable.

 

[D100]

Agree with the post above , I suggest removing the deep sand bed very slowly , maybe a scoop once a week if that’s the course you want to take

I dont do water changes so I really want to keep my deep sand bed. Not sure if removing it would be a Good idea?

 

[stevieduk]

if you have that many worms you are feeding to much. Feed less for a while and the big ones will eat the smaller ones

 

[Mical]

Try a six line wrasse. I had the same situation added the 6 line and now I rarely see them.

 

[PhreeByrd]

This just doesn't sound right. Since the worms primarily consume detritus and uneaten food, they are eating something; and they are obviously eating very well. The lack of water changes could indeed be affecting things, IMO. Have you tested the tank water for the more important elements and any trace elements? With no replenishment in 6 months, something is surely out of whack in your water chemistry by now, even if you've been adding trace elements. Have you been dosing anything at all? What testing have you done?

I agree that you need to figure out what's really going on. The worm population has found equilibrium with the tank conditions; they are just a symptom. Simply removing them or reducing their numbers substantially without addressing the reasons for their overpopulation could cause undesirable issues.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

This just doesn't sound right. Since the worms primarily consume detritus and uneaten food, they are eating something; and they are obviously eating very well. The lack of water changes could indeed be affecting things, IMO. Have you tested the tank water for the more important elements and any trace elements? With no replenishment in 6 months, something is surely out of whack in your water chemistry by now, even if you've been adding trace elements. Have you been dosing anything at all? What testing have you done?

I agree that you need to figure out what's really going on. The worm population has found equilibrium with the tank conditions; they are just a symptom. Simply removing them or reducing their numbers substantially without addressing the reasons for their overpopulation could cause undesirable issues.

This is what I'm saying. My personal vote is the sandbed. It's absorbed nutrients for a while and now is leeching them back out.

 

[EMeyer]

I wrestled with bristleworms for a long time before I solved the problem . dirty sandbed is the cause. If its not sparkling white, its dirty and a source of nutrients.

predatory snails are the best solution IMO. I bought a dozen bumblebee snails and a couple cone snails (venomous stings) and have almost no bristle worms left.

popular wisdom is correct when it says bristleworms eat excess food in the tank. popular wisdom is wrong when it says thats all they eat. Big bristle worms can cause problems, attacking healthy inverts and corals. (people who have not witnessed this yet will deny it happens. They are wrong)

arrow crabs and coral banded shrimp are great worm control but both eat fish too.

go snails! bumble bee and cone snails did the trick for me. Plus increased cleaning of the sand bed.

 

[Coralreefer1]

A large population of Fireworms and Bristleworms is the direct result of overfeeding your tank. Using a baster utensil or setting a trap will help you to get your numbers down to a manageable and beneficial population.

 

[PhreeByrd]

This is what I'm saying. My personal vote is the sandbed. It's absorbed nutrients for a while and now is leeching them back out.

Yes, but the worms are not feeding on the sandbed-leeched nutrients. They require a more substantial food than that.

A dirty sandbed also does not necessarily lead to excess nutrients anyway, regardless of how many times it's stated as fact here or elsewhere.

 

[icejam]

I had my tank over run with worms the same way.
I haven't seen a single one since I got hermit crabs and shrimp+goby pair.
I can't say for sure that was the fix but nothing else changed. My guess is hermits are eating all the excess food before worms have a chance to. I never clean or disturb my sand so having a shrimp digging through it also helps (probably, maybe )

 

[mibwb]

Both Arrow Crabs and Banded Shrimp that I had only ate food taken from my Duncans….never saw them eat a worm. I would just pluck out the huge ones when I saw them. I would feed them to my Cichlids.

 

[NathanW81]

I would introduce a six line wrasse personally. Cut your feeding and do soenwater changes. The six line will fatten up and look like a softball after he thins those worms out.