There's an Alien in my Tank

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fish addict

AC Addict
Mar 6, 2005
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Wilmington, NC
OK, it's not really an alien, but I just saw the biggest bristle worm i have ever seen. The 1" to 2" range creeps me out, but this worm was at least 4" long and about 1/4" in width. It was fat and terrifying, and I don't know if I will ever reach into that tank again.

Does this critter pose any danger to my fishes (pin-stripe wrasse, firefish goby, fridmani pseudo, various shrimp)?

p.s. i took a picture of the monster and will attempt to post it shortly.
 

macphoto

AC Members
Aug 19, 2005
236
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While detritivore shopping, I became confused when I saw sites like ipsf.com and inlandaquatics.com including bristle worms in their kits... I thought bristle worms were BAD hitchhikers that people tried desperately to erradicate from their newly acquired LR.

But apparently they're not all bad.

Still, I've heard stories of these things getting 12"... at that point (actually, probably well before that point), I think I'd have to remove it.

--Mike
 

OrionGirl

No freelancing!
Aug 14, 2001
14,053
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Poconos
Real Name
Sheila
It's also important to note that there are a huge number of different kinds of worms. Most won't ever get to more than 8-12 inches. I've never worried about it--most are fairly shy, so as long as you're careful to avoid grabbing the worm, it will leave you-0-and healthy fish--well alone. A good supply of worms is critical for a healthy tank, IMO.
 
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