Bristleworms!

[TheTim]

first it was 1, now its quite a few more. Ive been told, and ive read, that they arent really harmful. But is there anyway to keep the population down? Im about to start scissoring their heads off.

Tim

[aronmoir]

I just wait until they come out and get them with a tweezers, the same approach I use on Aiptasia anenomes. I had a bunch at first, but I've gotten the population down to a few now. I've also heard of a bristleworm trap. I think it's made by CoraLife or something. Might want to check out Foster&Smith or something.

[mogurnda]

Although they aren't a problem, large populations of bristleworms usually mean that there's lots of uneaten stuff for them to eat. Are you keeping dirty eaters like triggers?

[OrionGirl]

Brsitleworms are fantastic detrivores--they are valued members of my tanks. I go so far as to 'save' any that get pulled out during cleaning.

As with all detrivores, their population is in direct relation to the amount of waste in a system. Lots of fish and/or lots of feeding = lots of cleaners like bristleworms.

Having said that, if you are seeing bristleworms wroaming freely around during the day, in multitudes, you have a serious problem. Reducing the available food and manual removal of a few should help.

[lebloom]

I've got a very big bristle worm population in my FOWLR 75gal tank. I find them in a food clip 6-10 inches of the the bottom. Now explain to me how they get up there. I have all sizes from 1/8" to 6" long bristle worms. I don't see that they hurt my tank in anyway.