WHAT EATS BRISTEL WORMS AND IS REEF SAFE?

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sumo warior

AC Members
Jul 5, 2007
98
0
0
Puerto Rico
I JUST STARTED TO NOTICE SOME BRISTEL WORMS IN MY 55G. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT PROBLEM
 

Ace25

www.centralcoastreefclub. com
Oct 3, 2005
5,753
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36
www.centralcoastreefclub.com
You can buy a bristle worm trap at a LFS. Its usually a little green tube that is like a lobster trap, they go in, but bristles make it hard for them to reverse back out. You stick a little piece of garlic food that comes with the trap in the center and the worms run to it. They work great. Only drawback is if you have snails they try to get into the trap as well.

Funny story I think, I have only 1 bristle work in my tank, been there for many many years.. and its over 8" long now. I have never seen him kill anything, just go after the dead stuff like crabs/snails and any extra food that may be in the tank. I think it has been a really good cleaner, and since it is the only one in 5 years I have spotted in my little tank I have decided to leave him be as one of the cleanup crews. I know others will probably say its to big now and can harm things.. if and when that day comes I will trap it, but for now he is just another creature in my tank.

Now, thats not to say if I had several in my tank I wouldn't try to trap em. I definately would. I have seen in my neighbors tank how fast they can get out of control if left unchecked. We put a trap in his tank and we were catching one every 30 mins for about a week straight during the days.
 

JohnLin

AC Members
Dec 1, 2007
120
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39
Madison, WI
bristle worms = best clean up crew you can have in your substrate and liverock.

But that's just MY opinion.

I'm sure many others will disagree.
 

BeelzeBob

-CHAUVINIST PIG-
Mar 18, 2006
927
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40
Boulder, Co.
bristle worms = best clean up crew you can have in your substrate and liverock.

But that's just MY opinion.

I'm sure many others will disagree.

100% agree. just dont pet them.


as of late, i have seen my skunk cleaner shrimp ripping them from their hole and mowin down
 

Ace25

www.centralcoastreefclub. com
Oct 3, 2005
5,753
0
36
www.centralcoastreefclub.com
Personally I have never seen my bristle worm even come close to my corals.. it likes to stay in the rocks or on the back of the glass. Not to say thats the norm, just my case. It's the stupid hermit crabs that love the walk all over my zoas all the time that gets to me.
 

Me No Nemo

Florida Aquaculturist
Jan 21, 2008
9
0
0
Orlando
www.seainthecity.com
Bristle worms are excellent to have in your tank. They scavenge the sand and rock and help keep the tank very clean. They only one I would worry about are the large red fire worms, but they are rarely seen. I'd leave them be.
 
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