katarian Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 So i finally added some cleanup crew and a clown fish to my tank today. But then I noticed there has been this another thing residing within the live rock all this time. I researched and it is bristleworm, and decided to just wait and watch if it attacks any of my snails or hermit crabs. I came back home an hour later and found it crawling towards one of my hermit crabs, and it almost had it. I tried to pull it out using tweezers, but it went back into the cracks. I took out that piece of live rock and waited for it to come out, and it never did. But I did find a really tiny worm, a baby worm which I pulled out. Now I am trying to figure out a way to get rid of them. The one I saw was about 2 to 3inches long. Do you guys have any suggestions to get rid of them before they eat up all my snails and hermit crabs? I have a bottle with some food in it inside the tank right by the rock to try n lure it in there. Not sure if it is gonna work or not. Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joestotz Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Everybody on here is going to have a different opinion on bristle worms. they are good for your tank and sand bed. they feed on all the dead stuff. If they get to big you can get them out with tweezers. It's best to wait until about an hour after the lights go out. They come out to feed at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisQ Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 (edited) Bristleworms are basically part of your clean up crew and are usually not a problem unless they are No.2 pencil thick and 2' long But if you really want to remove them you can try the soda bottle fish trap contraption and wedge it up on some rocks so the opening is slightly pointed up and bait it during lights out. I use a large Snapple bottle and rubber band. You may have to add a few holes for scent flow but be sure to not make them large enough so they can then escape! Edited July 31, 2016 by ChrisQ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katarian Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 Bristleworms are basically part of your clean up crew and are usually not a problem unless they are No.2 pencil thick and 2' long [emoji23] But if you really want to remove them you can try the soda bottle fish trap contraption and wedge it up on some rocks so the opening is slightly pointed up and bait it during lights out. I use a large Snapple bottle and rubber band. You may have to add a few holes for scent flow but be sure to not make them large enough so they can then escape! So how does this thing work? And how do you get it ready? And this thing is wide and super long, and almost went for thec crab. I tried to read on them and usually the colored ones are good stuff. But this one is just blackish in color throughout. Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katarian Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 This is what it looks like. This is the best I was able to capture. So let me know if that's what your guy's worms look like. I just want to make sure they don't eat up my other creatures in there. Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katarian Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paratore Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 It's my opinion also that the worms aren't bad they never bother my clean up crew. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisQ Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 (edited) So how does this thing work? And how do you get it ready? And this thing is wide and super long, and almost went for thec crab. I tried to read on them and usually the colored ones are good stuff. But this one is just blackish in color throughout. Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk The ones i know of that are beneficial are brownish in color. The ones that are dangerous are red in color (fireworms) i would try and get a close up of the head if you could. The way the trap works is by luring them in with the scent of food and the fact most are not smart enough to figure out how to then escape. If you make a trap for the intent purpose of catching worms just remember even a knife blade wide for scent flow could be the difference between escape and capture. Your fish and crabs are much faster than the worm so you can rest easy there. Only the sick will fall prey. Edited July 31, 2016 by ChrisQ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katarian Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 The ones i know of that are beneficial are brownish in color. The ones that are dangerous are red in color (fireworms) i would try and get a close up of the head if you could. The way the trap works is by luring them in with the scent of food and the fact most are not smart enough to figure out how to then escape. If you make a trap for the intent purpose of catching worms just remember even a knife blade wide for scent flow could be the difference between escape and capture. Your fish and crabs are much faster than the worm so you can rest easy there. Only the sick will fall prey. Oh sweet, thanks for the information And these one doesn't have any hint of red on them. They are just blackish (maybe dark brownish, hard to tell the difference when they are in shade). It threw me off guard when one of them got to a hermit crab out in light (could just be a coincidence lol, but I got scared it's gonna kill it). I want to keep them if they are not harmful in any ways, because I know they are good at cleaning rocks. So what do you think? Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 They are fine IMO, if they are consuming an animal it's because it's not doing well and can't defend itself or its dead. I have tons and they never bother anything. The ones that get giant are Bobbit worms, they will eat livestock but they don't look anything like bristle worms, they have a mouth like the Alien from the Predator movies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean.G Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 I personally hate bristle worms. I just think they are ugly and the thought of touching one makes me not want to put my hand into the tank. I thought my tank didn't have any since I used mostly dry rock and I had dipped my two pieces of live rock in a freshwater dip. Definitely got a few of them out that way but a few weeks ago I saw one crawling around the back of my tank. Its the only one I have seen since starting this tank about a year ago but I know hes in there somewhere. I wouldn't bother trying to get rid of it though too much hassle and they don't really do any harm. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katarian Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 I personally hate bristle worms. I just think they are ugly and the thought of touching one makes me not want to put my hand into the tank. I thought my tank didn't have any since I used mostly dry rock and I had dipped my two pieces of live rock in a freshwater dip. Definitely got a few of them out that way but a few weeks ago I saw one crawling around the back of my tank. Its the only one I have seen since starting this tank about a year ago but I know hes in there somewhere. I wouldn't bother trying to get rid of it though too much hassle and they don't really do any harm. Oh okay. Sounds good. I will just let it be in there then. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisQ Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Now these are the worms to lose sleep over. Gotta love how the hermit ditched his house in the first vid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katarian Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 Now these are the worms to lose sleep over. Gotta love how the hermit ditched his house in the first vid OMG! It is a scary monster. Luckily the ones I was scared of in my tank are nothing like this. I am gonna have nightmares tonight after watching this video lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katarian Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/57a03b02179ad/VID-20160801-WA0016.mp4 So i finally was able to capture a video of it today. Actual video is a lot longer, and this monster is super long as well lol Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaylorW Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Keep them!!! Mine only come out at night to eat left overs.... I've never once had issues with them. I think you're worried about the dreaded fireworm lol, I've personally never heard of someone having one Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G360AZ using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySaber Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 That's a good size one... I trap any big ones when I see them. Just because I like to keep the population in check. Only do it one in a while.. best time to see what is in your tank is about an hour or so after lights go out. I have a red light to look with. But normally leave things alone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katarian Posted August 3, 2016 Author Share Posted August 3, 2016 Sounds good Thank you guys! Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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