Hello Mr. Bristleworm and your worm family

[fishfreek]

I just got some cool pics of some bristleworms in my 20 gal and I figured I could post them here in your UFO forum as a reference for future visitors.

[Brad]

you call that big these I pulled out of my 10 gal growout tank :shock:

[fishfreek]

Acuatlly Btad I was never trying to imply they where big. In fact th one with the snail was there to show how "NOT" big they where.

THe idea of the post was to give future members something to look at when trying ot see if what they had was a bristleworm.

[glenatuf]

so these are bad i take it?

[phistio]

nope...bristleworms have a bad rap, but are quite beneficial!

[Pineapple House]

Great thread! Maybe an Archives forum would be something to think about :D

so these are bad i take it?
Like phistio said, they are quite beneficial to the tank, and are great grazers. In the early years of reefing, these worms were thought to be pests, and people said that larger ones are able to harm corals, or fish, or inverts, which is totally rubbish. These are perfectly harmless to the tank :)

PH =)

[Pineapple House]

Also fishfreek, the first pic doesn't work for me :( I see the red X, like this http://W?W.gif

PH =)

[sdp777]

I have had 35 lbs of live rock from a previous several year owned aquarium, so I was spoiled off the bat. The 33 long (48x12x12) was up for about 4 months at the office and the boss said we had to take them down.

I have a 75 that I ended up converting. I have just aquired 82 additional lbs of live rock, fiji, from HarborAquatics.com. Set the tank up last week. Everything is going well with 9 watts/gallon.

Last night, thought Id get out the flashlight and peer into the darkness. I came across what looked like a blue armed brittle star. Placing the light directly on this beast, I watched it roll up like a tape measure, up over one rock and into the underside...and it was almost irridensent blue.

I have had this going only for a short period, and well, my previously understood bibles Vol1/2 Sprung/Delbeek says there bad bad....but everything post here says there good....how am I to judge.

I just saw big blue again...its got a rounded pointy end with a millipede looking body that is stretchy like a rubberband....what to do?

Im trying to get a snapshot now.

[Pineapple House]

A picture would help, just in case it isn't a bristol worm (which I doubt).

Anyway, trust all of us here, Bristol worms are extremely benificial for your tank! They will eat ditritus, algae, left over fish food, fish waste, and so on! They do wonders! It's only a myth that says larger ones can eat corals or feather dusters, and for the most part they're harmless (unless you come across the row of sharp needle like spines on either side).

If you don't mind me asking, when was the book published?

PH =)

[michealprater]

Dont handle bristle worms with your hands. I have heard they can pack a nasty sting.

[sdp777]

Thanks,

I did manage to get a bad pic off the digital at 1:30 am last night. I will post as soon as I buy some more batteries.

As for the books
The Reef Aquarium Volume I, Sprung/Delbeek 1994
The Reef Aquarium Volume 2, Sprung/Delbeek 1997

It is more in Vol2 that they identify they bristle worms can secrete a mucus on snail/clams that actually suffocate them.

Looking very closely last night at the tank I found 1 aptisia also....lovely.

[Fiji Live Rock]

you call that big these I pulled out of my 10 gal growout tank :shock:

I WISH I had my digital camera when I first got my LR...I must have pulled a freaking bristle on roids out of my tank cause he made all of those in the pictures behind mt post look like its babies!! And this is the god to honest truth! It took me a week to get this #%$^@# out of my LR! I wounded him several times with some percision tweezers until finially he died from his wounds and crawled out of his huge holes to lay on the SB to die! :twisted: (I don't just kill things...I didn't want him in my tank! Plus...my fingers got cracked by his azz a few times...the pain was enough to make me wanna burn him! :roll: )

God that thing was nasty! :lol:

[phistio]

these polychaetes only recently (within the past five years) have been overcomming their "bad rap."

[sdp777]

ALRIGHT I GOT HIM....and well, he has a buddy too I found last night. I finally got a clear picture...definitely Bristle worm...but bright irridesent blue....is this unique?

[sdp777]

Alright learning the attachment methodology my apologies for the double post. Ah, missed the file limit size. Ok its working.

[sdp777]

And his buddy munching on my brown macro algae....

With two that are about 6 inches each....will they terrorize the remaining inhabitants of the tank?

I have a 75g, with Purple Tang, Yellow Tang, Green Chromis, Blue Damsel, Blue Spot Jawfish and Red Flame Hawk. Plus numerous invertebrates.

Any potential conflicts to predict between the bristles and the others?

[fishfreek]

IMO they are harmless to your other creatures in your tank.

Well unless they die. Then they will become food.

[Pineapple House]

I agree with fishfreek, quite harmless little things :)

PH =)

[sdp777]

Alright, one last one on this post for maybe a tad more discussion. I have read a ton of posts indicating how most of the 'bristleworms' are harmless. I tend to agree. I found this and wow is it enlighening.
I would recommend this to anyone who is even questioning your worms.

http://biogeek.ucdavis.edu/bristleworm.html

This guy is thorough, and well my pics look like this latest one Im attaching which indicates it to be 'bad' type of fireworm. And, maybe even indication that the worms I have shown pictures of are reproducing.

Now Im a tad worried.

Any one care to comment?

[phistio]

yes...that is a fire worm...

but, IMO they're not bad! just when you maintenance the tank, make sure you look around some! treat it as you would say, a lionfish... :wink: