Tang as Bristleworm Control
 

For the longest time I've been puzzled over why my bristleworm population seems to have declined, or at least I seldom see them any more during the day. If I look after lights out, I still see quite a few. Then over the past couple weeks I began to notice my Purple Tang eating them. Three times now, once when I was pushing around some frags, and a worm fell off one, and twice when the pumps restarted and sent worms out of the plumbing, and every time the tang has rushed in, grabbed the worm, and gobbled it up. No wonder they don't come out during the day any more, they get eaten! I never thought that purple tangs were bristleworm eaters, but mine sure seems to think they are tasty. Would think that he would get choked up on those nastly little bristles, but the tang just spits them out a couple times, and by about the third time they go in and never come back out. First time it happened I though the tang would be a goner, but it seems to be happy as ever, and ready to eat any worms that it can find.

ive used six-line wrasse for bristle worm control, this is the first Tang incident. thats cool!
my six-line was very teritorial, it loved to dart in and grab silversides pieces from my 12" PBTA until one day it got a little to brave and nature took its course, and the hunter became the hunted. :(

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11475933#post11475933 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefnetworth [/i]
[B]ive used six-line wrasse for bristle worm control, this is the first Tang incident. thats cool!
my six-line was very teritorial, it loved to dart in and grab silversides pieces from my 12" PBTA until one day it got a little to brave and nature took its course, and the hunter became the hunted. :( [/B][/QUOTE]

Ouch. You gotta hate to see that...

interesting! Never heard of a tang doing that. My coral banded shrimp keeps them at low, low minimum. I actually visit a LFS and take home a small baggie or 2 of the buggers from time to time for a nice treat for "Bandit". He loves em!

That's really cool. I think you may have to get a video just to freak people out.