Worm ID please
- Thread starter hnguyen
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really? whys that?
I read this on reefbuilders. Should I be concerned?
Bristle worms can be, and usually, are a real problem for reef hobbyists. Indeed, they create havoc in the aquarium, especially when they grow to larger sizes. Bristle worms grow quickly! Real quickly! They feed on anything they can find in the tank and grow to sizes that amaze most hobbyists. This process does not take long either.
Whereas small bristle worms may look really harmless, larger specimens that have grown to sizes of 24 inches or more in length are quite impressive and can cause serious damage. Remember too that the size you see is not necessarily the size of the worm. It may be retracted and look short and thick, but it can stretch itself to a real long size and be very thin. In either case it is a voracious eater.
In addition to feeding on left over food small crustaceans, and detritus from which they extract uneaten parts, bristle worms attack corals and sometimes other animals too (anemones are a good example of the latter). Because of the damage they do, they absolutely need to be physically removed from the aquarium. This can be quite a task and is not as simple at it seems at first as many of you may have found out over time.
Bristle worms can be, and usually, are a real problem for reef hobbyists. Indeed, they create havoc in the aquarium, especially when they grow to larger sizes. Bristle worms grow quickly! Real quickly! They feed on anything they can find in the tank and grow to sizes that amaze most hobbyists. This process does not take long either.
Whereas small bristle worms may look really harmless, larger specimens that have grown to sizes of 24 inches or more in length are quite impressive and can cause serious damage. Remember too that the size you see is not necessarily the size of the worm. It may be retracted and look short and thick, but it can stretch itself to a real long size and be very thin. In either case it is a voracious eater.
In addition to feeding on left over food small crustaceans, and detritus from which they extract uneaten parts, bristle worms attack corals and sometimes other animals too (anemones are a good example of the latter). Because of the damage they do, they absolutely need to be physically removed from the aquarium. This can be quite a task and is not as simple at it seems at first as many of you may have found out over time.
OK. I did a little research and I've found this.
Introduce a natural predator of these worms into the aquarium, such as a Dottyback, Wrasse of the Halichoeres family, Bird Wrasse (Gomphosus varius), Maori Wrasse (Cheilinus oxycephalus), Sunset Wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens), Coral Banded Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) or Arrow Crab
Do you guys think any of these will harm my tank? I have a cleaner shrimp in my tank. You guys think they will kill/eat him? I'm leaning more towards the wrasses. Most these guys here.
Vrolik's Wrasse
Red-Lined Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse (pretty)!!!
Christmas Wrasse
If at all possible, I'd like to put all 4 of them in my tank, will that work? Their all from the same wrasse family.
Edit:
I'm afraid they DO get a lot of food Jenn. I saw that sucker eat a whole mysis shrimp last night when I was feeding my fish. That REALLY sent my hair standing all the way up!! The thing eats like a snake!! :yuk:
Introduce a natural predator of these worms into the aquarium, such as a Dottyback, Wrasse of the Halichoeres family, Bird Wrasse (Gomphosus varius), Maori Wrasse (Cheilinus oxycephalus), Sunset Wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens), Coral Banded Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) or Arrow Crab
Do you guys think any of these will harm my tank? I have a cleaner shrimp in my tank. You guys think they will kill/eat him? I'm leaning more towards the wrasses. Most these guys here.
Vrolik's Wrasse
Red-Lined Wrasse
Dusky Wrasse (pretty)!!!
Christmas Wrasse
If at all possible, I'd like to put all 4 of them in my tank, will that work? Their all from the same wrasse family.
Edit:
I'm afraid they DO get a lot of food Jenn. I saw that sucker eat a whole mysis shrimp last night when I was feeding my fish. That REALLY sent my hair standing all the way up!! The thing eats like a snake!! :yuk:
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You're a lot more experienced at this than I am, but I feel like you're freaking out without the need. I've never seen someone's tank that didn't have bristle worms, they're a part of a balanced reef ecosystem. You don't usually see them because they hide in the rock and sand, but they're there, doing their job.
Adding a wrasse will reduce the population, but I doubt you're going to be able to remove ALL of them that way.
Adding a wrasse will reduce the population, but I doubt you're going to be able to remove ALL of them that way.
I rather disagree with the first article you posted. There *are* worms that can be damaging but they are usually Eunicid worms, not bristleworms. I've never seen a bristle more than maybe 6" or so. If they get bigger than that, chances are they are NOT bristleworms.
The only healthy creatures I've ever seen them eat (personally), is dwarf seahorses (Hippocampus zostrae) - those are very tiny, maybe 1/4" tall, and I watched a bristle pluck one off its holdfast once. Other than that I've never witnessed one bother a healthy fish or coral or invert.
I wouldn't trust an arrow crab for a second... I've seen them pluck chromis right out of the water column.
Halichoeres wrasses, Orchid Dottyback, 6 lines etc., can and will eat them but they likely won't rid you of them completely (nor should you want them to, IMO.)
I think these awesome janitors are frequently misunderstood. If something dies, they'll clean it up promptly but are often accused of causing the death.
When I kept larger seahorses, the tank was heavily fed and each time I'd drop food into the tank, the rocks were literally crawling with worms - they never harmed a larger seahorse or anything else in the tank but they did a great job eating up the leftover mysis that the seahorses couldn't be bothered with.
If you've got a worm that's eating corals (or mushrooms), then it's probably a Eunicid worm and SHOULD be removed. See http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm">HERE</a>.
The biggest risk to *you* is getting spines in your fingers if you accidentally touch one (like while moving a rock or coral). Vinegar on the affected area will dissolve the bristles, and it usually feels a bit like your skin got irritated by fiberglass insulation or similar.
By and large, IMO and IME these worms are more of a benefit than a risk.
Jenn
The only healthy creatures I've ever seen them eat (personally), is dwarf seahorses (Hippocampus zostrae) - those are very tiny, maybe 1/4" tall, and I watched a bristle pluck one off its holdfast once. Other than that I've never witnessed one bother a healthy fish or coral or invert.
I wouldn't trust an arrow crab for a second... I've seen them pluck chromis right out of the water column.
Halichoeres wrasses, Orchid Dottyback, 6 lines etc., can and will eat them but they likely won't rid you of them completely (nor should you want them to, IMO.)
I think these awesome janitors are frequently misunderstood. If something dies, they'll clean it up promptly but are often accused of causing the death.
When I kept larger seahorses, the tank was heavily fed and each time I'd drop food into the tank, the rocks were literally crawling with worms - they never harmed a larger seahorse or anything else in the tank but they did a great job eating up the leftover mysis that the seahorses couldn't be bothered with.
If you've got a worm that's eating corals (or mushrooms), then it's probably a Eunicid worm and SHOULD be removed. See http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm">HERE</a>.
The biggest risk to *you* is getting spines in your fingers if you accidentally touch one (like while moving a rock or coral). Vinegar on the affected area will dissolve the bristles, and it usually feels a bit like your skin got irritated by fiberglass insulation or similar.
By and large, IMO and IME these worms are more of a benefit than a risk.
Jenn
hahah yea I am freaking out!!
but anything that looks like the pictures posted above will do that to me. I think it's more of a fear for me then it is for my corals. I don't wanna get stick by one of those guys while working on my tank.- Messages
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Hnguyen;692994 wrote: hahah yea I am freaking out!!
I can't blame you for that, it isn't a very nice sting. They're so docile that it's hard to get stung without sticking your hand on the underside of liverock or some galaxea though. Good luck with the situation though
.I don't like them either Barbara, and that's the reason why I want them out my tank. I have a sand shifting starfish in there to shift my sand around and clean up the sand on the bottom. I also have a sea cucumber and a bunch of hermit crabs, so I think their good enough to clean up and eat whatever left over food there may be in the tank.
You have no way of knowing how many are actually in there. You saw ONE... there could be tens more, or hundreds more... if you don't see them, you don't know.
Are you that squeamish that the link made you woozy?
I've been stung so many times I couldn't even count. Not a big deal really - the skin on your hands is pretty thick, they don't become too bothersome. If they get you on the arm or or the back of the hand where the skin is thinner, that's a bit of a pain, but they aren't that big of a deal, and IMO they come with the territory.
They serve a purpose, that's what's important to keep in mind. They are a naturally occurring part of the clean-up crew. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jenn
Are you that squeamish that the link made you woozy?
I've been stung so many times I couldn't even count. Not a big deal really - the skin on your hands is pretty thick, they don't become too bothersome. If they get you on the arm or or the back of the hand where the skin is thinner, that's a bit of a pain, but they aren't that big of a deal, and IMO they come with the territory.
They serve a purpose, that's what's important to keep in mind. They are a naturally occurring part of the clean-up crew. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jenn
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