What is the bristle worm doing?

[Brian Baker]

So a few days ago I did a 30% water change and then I caught all of my bristle worms doing this. So I took a video of the last one.

Just curious what they are doing?

 

[homer1475]

Hmm never seen any of mine do that. Spawning perhaps?

 

[WV Reefer]

So a few days ago I did a 30% water change and then I caught all of my bristle worms doing this. So I took a video of the last one.

Just curious what they are doing?

Spawning.

 

[Brian Baker]

Well crap. I already have like 10 of them. I don’t want anymore.

 

[mia relis]

If you really saw multiple bristle worms doing this I would imagine you will have MANY

 

[TriggerFinger]

That’s horrifying

 

[Brian Baker]

Yeah I think there are like ten of them or so. I saw about 6 of them do it. This is gonna suck. How would I get rid of them?

 

[homer1475]

Yeah I think there are like ten of them or so. I saw about 6 of them do it. This is gonna suck. How would I get rid of them?

Stop feeding so much.

No seriously, bristle worms self regulate their population depending on their available food source.

 

[DarkSky]

Temp swings causes a spawning event in many inverts. Throwing a male and female urchin into a bag and causing a temp swing is how you get aqua cultured urchins. :)

 

[Brian Baker]

Stop feeding so much.

No seriously, bristle worms self regulate their population depending on their available food source.

I have already slowed the feeding down to once every two or three days.

 

[Scotty Buttons]

You can make a trap with a empty water bottle and some straws to catch them but it's unlikely you will ever get them all. And if there's one left there's the chance it will multiply into many more

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I have already slowed the feeding down to once every two or three days.

Just because they spawn does not mean there will be a ton. If there is not enough food, the babies will not grow and will die. But if they do grow, just google DIY bristle worm trap. A simple water bottle works great.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Most bristle worms are either male or female. They reproduce by releasing sperm and eggs into the water. Larvae metamorphose from a free-swimming stage to a segmented stage before maturing. A few bristle worm species take care of their young. Some bristle worm species reproduce asexually by budding.

 

[seamonster]

Ewwww!! what the heck??!! Possibly spawning.. i have never seen that before!

 

[LetItReef]

That is something! Look up Bristleworm trap in Youtube.

 

[Dsnakes]

That’s nasty ;Woot

 

[Bleigh]

That is not how I was expecting that video to end. I hope I never catch mine doing that.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

That is incredible, thank you for sharing that video. I have never seen bristle worms spawn before. I imagine what does not turn into worms will serve as coral food or get caught by a skimmer.

 

[Wee Mad Arthur]

Sorry to bump an old thread but I just saw my huge 12“+ bristleworm rear up and a huge cloud of white came out instantly making the water cloudy and then multiple small bristleworms came out and ejected red streams like the video. What a weird but amazing sight!

 

[Bleigh]

I had night mares about giant bristle worms last night. Randomly - I haven’t seen any in my new tank - knock on wood. It was attacking my fish. And I grabbed tweezers and pulled him out. And I then I woke up. Not that that helps any... but good timing?