what the heck??! I cleaned my tank and it looks like some one dumped these things inside??!!

[Cell]

All this love for bristle worms makes me shake my head. Now lets be clear, the worms didnt cause the problem, and theres no need or way to get rid of the worms.

But seriously, screw those worms. Touch one and your hand swells up for days. And I see someone suggesting killing them "humanely"? um no.

There are plenty of cleanup crew options that don't cause nasty stings -- namely, all of them except for bristleworms.

Kill it with fire.

100%

There are other more attractive, less sting-y CUC options that aren't water centipedes.

 

[lsawchuk]

This X1000.
I read this whole post and was getting a little upset that everyone was trying to kill the cuc. That is exactly what the worms are. They are eating the food left over from overfeeding = balance... In your tank. (well, maybe... Another story) in my 20 years of reefing I have seen 1 worm get that big in any of my tanks. It did no harm at all.
Even if you adjusted your feeding, will that cause a instant massive die off? No, I don't think so. Some will die but over time but not all at once. Live rock and bacteria have a way to deal with that. But, now the live rock has gone into hot tap water and killed some of the bacteria and probably some of those good beneficial worms causing a mini spike in ammonia, killing the fish which in turn get eaten by what's left of surviving worms.
I would let things be. The tank will recycle its self and start over. You can even feed the tank. But you need to remember not to over feed. Just a pinch a day is all you need. I like to think a fish's stomach is as big as its eye. Helps me to judge how much to feed. And also, the fish are always picking on rock and micro-organizims you can't even see.

Good luck in your reefing and remember, nothing happens fast in this hobby but bad things. And usually because of human error.

So you don’t think I should clean it all out and start fresh?

 

[homer1475]

And unfortunately nothing you do will ever rid your tank of them. They are a vital part of the CUC, and in the OP's case, probably keeping the tank in balance(in = out).

I would of course in the OP's case cut back my feedings(what causes them to bloom), and remove some of them.

Unsightly, sure, but are 100% a vital part of tank biodiversity. I rarely see mine, but I know they are there.

 

[lsawchuk]

I mean I would love some for my arrow crab if you are selling

I wish we lived close. You could bring your crab over lol

 

[Cell]

It's really just personal preference here. If you are good with a healthy population of bristleworms and can be very careful moving forward on how much food your tank is getting, then suck out what you can and do a big water change to address the current die off.

If you don't want to deal with the bristleworms at all and have the time/inclination, then maybe it's not a bad time for a tank reset/deep cleaning.

 

[kput]

Just siphon them bro. don't even try, just grab a siphon and suck em up.

Imagine when you keep the tube in your mouth a second too long and a bristle worm comes hurtling down, into your mouth.......

 

[Cell]

There seems to be a bit of a disagreement on how many bristleworms is a lot. In my opinion, your average reef tank has nothing close to the number of bristleworms shown in the OP's pic, but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[homer1475]

Imagine when you keep the tube in your mouth a second too long and a bristle worm comes hurtling down, into your mouth.......

Ummm......

You do know you can start a siphon by putting the end of the hose in front of a powerhead?

Who starts a siphon this day and age with their mouth in a reef tank? You do know there are many bacteria present that can make you very sick?

 

[Cell]

Was definitely a joke.

 

[homer1475]

There seems to be a bit of a disagreement on how many bristleworms is a lot. In my opinion, your average reef tank has nothing close to the number of bristleworms shown in the OP's pic, but maybe I'm wrong.

I would 100% agree with you, but I also think many we never see as they are hidden within the rocks.

In the OP's case they "washed" their rock in hot tap water which made them escape the rock in mass exodus.

 

[EMeyer]

Who starts a siphon this day and age with their mouth in a reef tank?

/raises hand high in the air

My friend, if getting a mouthful of aquarium water was even remotely dangerous, I assure you I would be dead many times over. Yes there are lots of bacteria in the water but the digestive system apparently takes care of them.

All the other methods of siphoning suck. Mouth siphons for life

 

[homer1475]

/raises hand high in the air

My friend, if getting a mouthful of aquarium water was even remotely dangerous, I assure you I would be dead many times over. Yes there are lots of bacteria in the water but the digestive system apparently takes care of them.

All the other methods of siphoning suck. Mouth siphons for life

You are a fool then( I say this in jest, not to be mean. Written word often times does not reflect tone).

I used to do it too(many many years) until I found a better way. You know how we as a civilization get smarter so we avoid danger and live longer? Same applies here.

And yes there is bacteria in a reef aquarium that our gut bacteria do not break down and can make us very sick. It has never happened to me, but it can happen(off the top of my head, vibrio comes to mind).

Sorry to the OP for derailing the thread.

 

[HeyJay]

I mouth siphon my skimmer cup, doesn't everyone?

 

[Dburr1014]

So you don’t think I should clean it all out and start fresh?

They will start your cycle when they die. If you don't feed they will die. So what's the harm? As stated by many, there is no way you will get them all out. They are needed. You do need to adjust the amount you feed fish tho.
By recycling you are starting fresh.
On a side note; do you use rodi water? Tap is not good. City water is horrible and well still as junk in it. My well is only 42 ppm and I use rodi.
I would probably take your rocks out and soak them in rodi for a day to get out the tap water junk out .

 

[Cell]

I would 100% agree with you, but I also think many we never see as they are hidden within the rocks.

In the OP's case they "washed" their rock in hot tap water which made them escape the rock in mass exodus.

I have to figure this is an excessive amount or it would be a more normal occurrence when breaking down a tank or replacing rock. I've dried out live rock from mature tanks and critters will eventually crawl out, but never in the numbers the OP has.

 

[Z-man]

Ummm......

You do know you can start a siphon by putting the end of the hose in front of a powerhead?

Who starts a siphon this day and age with their mouth in a reef tank? You do know there are many bacteria present that can make you very sick?

I still start my siphon with a suck.

 

[homer1475]

I have to figure this is an excessive amount or it would be a more normal occurrence when breaking down a tank or replacing rock. I've dried out live rock from mature tanks and critters will eventually crawl out, but never in the numbers the OP has.

100% agree. Excessive amount.

 

[EMeyer]

You are a fool then( I say this in jest, not to be mean. Written word often times does not reflect tone).

I used to do it too(many many years) until I found a better way. You know how we as a civilization get smarter so we avoid danger and live longer? Same applies here.

And yes there is bacteria in a reef aquarium that our gut bacteria do not break down and can make us very sick. It has never happened to me, but it can happen(off the top of my head, vibrio comes to mind).

Sorry to the OP for derailing the thread.

No offense taken at all, but I stand by what I said, I've seen no evidence of danger from the occasional mouthful of aquarium water. Really, over the years, the aquarium crap thats gotten in my mouth. Ever get a mouthful of detritus from the bottom of your sump? Not fun!

But I've also been swimming in the ocean and gotten mouthfuls of ocean water... which has just as many if not more bacteria in it as aquarium water (including, it should be noted, Cholera and some nasty strains of E. coli). And I've eaten apples from the grocery store without washing them. I don't put those ridiculous little paper covers on public toilet seats either, I figure my rear end is no cleaner than anyone elses.

I'm well aware of the presence of bacteria in these areas, I just disagree that casual contact with random environmental bacteria is a cause for concern. But everyone is free to manage their own perceived risks as they choose.

I'm still mouth siphoning.

 

[Cell]

Ok I apologize, it was not a joke! lol

 

[kapnkush608]