Whoever said bristle worms are harmless never got stung like this...

[Roggio]

There’s thousands in my hand and finger. So far I’ve used my girlfriends charcoal facemask. I’m letting it dry and hoping to pull most of them out

 

[Crabs McJones]

There’s thousands in my hand and finger. So far I’ve used my girlfriends charcoal facemask. I’m letting it dry and hoping to pull most of them out

Soak it in vinegar, that will help dissolve the bristles.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

I don't think anyone ever claimed that bristle worms were totally harmless to humans. If they did, they shouldn't have. WebMD goes as far as to call them one of the most dangerous species of worms. It's much more likely that bristle worms were called beneficial cleanup crew members and were purported to not harm fish. In most cases, both of these are true. That doesn't mean they pose no danger to humans.

It's worth repeating that just because something is good for the tank or is aesthetically pleasing does not mean it can't hurt humans. Palythoa are one of the more popular examples of dangerous things we keep. Mantis shrimps can be another. Bristle worms are most certainly included on that list. There are countless others. Care should always be taken when we put our hands in our tanks, and protective gloves are never a bad idea.

I don't mean to kick you while you're down. I'm sorry to hear that you were stung. I've never been stung by bristle worms, but I can't imagine it feels great. If you have sensitive skin or have allergies to other types of venomous stings (bee stings, wasp stings, etc), you should seek medical attention. If you haven't been stung by bristle worms before, it's unclear how your body may react.

 

[declanisadog]

I've been there before. not fun. I recently broke a tank down, and phase one was taking out all of the rocks with no coral. I had this happen, and i couldn't close my fingers all the way for several days.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I don't think anyone ever claimed that bristle worms were totally harmless to humans. If they did, they shouldn't have. WebMD goes as far as to call them one of the most dangerous species of worms. It's much more likely that bristle worms were called beneficial cleanup crew members and were purported to not harm fish. In most cases, both of these are true. That doesn't mean they pose no danger to humans.

It's worth repeating that just because something is good for the tank or is aesthetically pleasing does not mean it can't hurt humans. Palythoa are one of the more popular examples of dangerous things we keep. Mantis shrimps can be another. Bristle worms are most certainly included on that list. There are countless others. Care should always be taken when we put our hands in our tanks, and protective gloves are never a bad idea.

I don't mean to kick you while you're down. I'm sorry to hear that you were stung. I've never been stung by bristle worms, but I can't imagine it feels great. If you have sensitive skin or have allergies to other types of venomous stings (bee stings, wasp stings, etc), you should seek medical attention. If you haven't been stung by bristle worms before, it's unclear how your body may react.

Agreed, gloves are a must. You just never know what's really in there

 

[mcarroll]

There’s thousands in my hand and finger. So far I’ve used my girlfriends charcoal facemask. I’m letting it dry and hoping to pull most of them out

That happens about weekly if you work at a store.

Try vinegar to dissolve them.....it works on some.

But others are made of (I think) silicon....more like glass slivers so they need to be pulled/work their way out.

Tape or glue is a pretty good option, but that location on your finger will be sensitive even after the spikes are gone.

 

[Zeal]

I always wear double layer gloves with rubber bands at wrist to prevent water from going in. Works like a charm

 

[siggy]

never knew.. @Roggio How did this happen did it attack you? moving rock?

 

[MTBake]

I've grabbed some good sized bristle worms moving rock around and taking down tanks. I've never had the bristles stick into me though. Looks painful.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

OUCH! Been there. That HURTS!!

 

[Roggio]

never knew.. @Roggio How did this happen did it attack you? moving rock?

I have a 50 gallon refugium filled with pond matrix. I was trying to kill a lot of photosynthetic flatworms. Something clogged the hose and I tried to pull it out without thinking. This bristle worm was a least 10’’ long. I ended up removing all the matrix and killing all 40-50 I found. jerks.

Thanks everyone for the tips and advice. Wish I knew about vinegar. I had so many that I ended up covering them in super glue gel and ripping that off. I’ve never used gloves. Anyone use the disposable hospital gloves?

Gloves every time?? How do you pet your fish?

 

[NY_Caveman]

I use either the latex powder free or nitrile gloves. Yes, every time for my protection and the livestock’s protection. I also picked up some cheap calf birthing gloves for reaching deep into the tank.

https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/1015320-neogen-ob-dairy-sleeve-glove.html

$13 for 100 single gloves. They go to my shoulder. Not sure if a bristle could get through these though.

 

[Lifer]

Reminds me of the wonderful (not) old days of glass wool filter media

 

[Salty.Reefer]

I got hit by a big guy who was living in my overflow. Didn’t hurt too bad but I was also planting cactus for a living at the time lol. I used my pocket knife to scrap out most then used my teeth to get the stragglers. It swelled up a little. My old LFS owner got stung once and his hand got HUGE! It was really swollen and red.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Your not supposed to pet them.....

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Ooch. I have taken more than a few licks from bristle worms in the past. Slight swelling, minor pain amd tenderness in effected area for a few days is the normal reaction for me. Working in a few fish stores and doing aquarium maintenance for a while I have seen some big fat bushy worms.

 

[GreensoldierUSA]

Looks nasty . Worm never got me but my foxface loves to.

 

[Hans-Werner]

I had bristles in the fingers like shown here too. I just rubbed them off with the fingers of the other hand trying to pull them out and not pushing them deeper in. It may be a little bit itching for some hours but I never noticed an inflammation or something like that. Get stung by a stinging nettle is more aching.

 

[mike werner]

I cried!only a little.

 

[Zeal]

I use either the latex powder free or nitrile gloves. Yes, every time for my protection and the livestock’s protection. I also picked up some cheap calf birthing gloves for reaching deep into the tank.

https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/1015320-neogen-ob-dairy-sleeve-glove.html

$13 for 100 single gloves. They go to my shoulder. Not sure if a bristle could get through these though.

I was thinking of buying a these, I hate putting my entire arm in my tank... This seems like a great idea