Too much coral in your tank?

[lukasnca]

I might have the solution to your problems ... order Florida live rock.

I reduced about a 25lb aquacultured florida live rock (I'll never make that mistake -- no more florida live rock) to rubble tonight in an attempt to catch the wonderful critter below. Before someone says that bristle worms are our friends try having one of these buggers in your tank for over a year. I'm just glad that I had lots of orange zoos and xenias for him to snack on.

The worms in two parts because ... well ... he tried to get away. Anyway, I'm thinking at least 14" and in the tank he would have been much bigger. I removed one of his other friends about 6 months ago. These things actually come out during the day to dine. Anyway...

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/60837worm1-med.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/60837worm2.jpg

[SuperSizeMe]

dude, let me just warn you, DONT pick those up with your hands, they have two fangs and vemon. The string is a bit more painful then a honey bee string, but last a damn long time. People offen use those to go stripper or sergon fishing. I forget the name of them, but they cost 2dollars live at the bait shop.

[sid700]

These things eat coral? I thought they are reef safe!!! I've seen a bunch of these in my tank! They only come out at night.

[lukasnca]

Thanks for the warning supersizeme. I went to homedepot today and bought a bunch of tools to deal with this thing. I get stung enough by my clown fish swishing anenome tentacles at my hand with its tail :)

I moved one rock last night with a bunch of xenia on it onto the rock in which this thing lived and by this morning the xenia was reduced to a few stalks. Not altogether a bad as the xenia grows like weeds :)

Bernie, you're probably thinking of plain ole bristle worms ... the pinkish/orange kind. Those ones are fine.

Check this thing out: http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

[Izsabelle]

That can't be the same thing as the bait worms at the shop. The bait worms are pretty harmless. It looks similar, but I've hooked the bait worms, and they aren't too bad as long as you chop off the heads. :)

[neuro]

that is one mutant bristle worm. didn't know they came like that.

maybe you otta get rid of live sand and go BB! =)

... unless you've got some LR or tubing that can hide a 14" worm

[lukasnca]

It was actually in the live rock ... I had to chip away at the rock to get him out.

On another note I'm getting rid of my sand when I get my new tank. I've seen a few bb tanks now and I like the way that they look.

[jimsar]

Originally posted by lukasnca
[B]I might have the solution to your problems ... order Florida live rock. ...

Fiji live rocks will do it, too. I've got at least one of those worms, the one I saw was slightly smaller than a pencil in diameter. The exposed part was ~18" long, standing vertically, pulling on a piece of clam meat that an RBTA was having trouble digesting.

Hopefully I'll catch him before he reaches 7 feet long. ;)

Jim

[lukasnca]

They can really stretch out. The photos I have are of the worm when its compressed.

BTW, if anyone wants one its sitting in a tupperware container by my tank :) Its in 2 pieces now and both seem active. They're actually probably good scavengers for fish only systems...

[Bamm Bamm]

I've had some bristleworms that were as big around as my little finger in my tanks over the years...

[johnvlahos]

I've had great success with brsitleworm traps - can't remember where I bought them though...

jv

[Vincerama2]

Well, I think there are like one hundred beelion types of bristleworms, so I don't think they are all coral eaters. I have enough trouble with flatworms and aptasia right now ... I'm not going on a worm hunt!

V

[ahbroody]

I have not had any problems in a long time with bristle worms, but I am wondering what the best solution is.
A few years back I had some worms kill a bubble coral by infesting it. However through traps and other measures I have not seen any even at night or have any coral deaths.
However, in the next few months I am going to be setting up a new 55 and am very worried about unwanted worms.
I rember seeing a dealer a while back who would mist the rocks on these racks for a few weeks to basically kill off all hitchhickers inside the rocks, but keep the rocks in good shape. I just dont want to go through the issues again and would be willing to pay a little extra to avoid them.

[sfsuphysics]

Depending on who you ask bristle worms will ONLY eat dead/dying flesh of corals/clams/anemone. Unfortunately telling the difference between the various worms can be difficult.

I have heard arrow crabs are perfect for getting worms out of rocks, they have really long arms (look like a daddy long legs spider) and can reach into rock holes and yank them out. Don't know how they'd do against one of those worms the thickness of a finger, but hey if you want to get the little ones go for it :)

[Jpizzle]

this might've been explained above..

but the majority of bristleworms are good scavangers for your reef tank and are completely reef safe.

However, there are "fire" bristleworms which are sometimes more colorful and those are the ones that can deliver a painful sting (as well as eat coral)

[lukasnca]

I've read that most fireworms don't eat coral. It seems that there are really only a few species of worms that do. Though I'm sure that there may be a few bad apples in the other species :)

[ahbroody]

You know I am confused. People come on here and say worms are good for a tank as they are scavengers. Well there are many other scavengers you can put in your tank that wont decide to snack on corals.
So you hear they're good then people come on and say well they ate my corals. I guess unless you have enough decaying matter in your tank they eat your corals.

[Vincerama2]

Again, there are many types of bristleworms.

Saying "cats are good house pets" doesn't mean sticking a tiger in your kitchen is a good idea. I mean it IS a cat, but not the kind that makes a good house pet. Then you'll hear "got too many kids? here's the solution ... get a cat!"... ;)

V

[orientalexpress]

their a new pest that come with bali aqua coral call acro eating flatworm,it hard to see.there is no cure for it yet.as of right now,i would not buy anymore bali coral until there is a cure for it,it's not worth the risk.just be careful.gl lapsan

[sirhelm]

LOL.. Vince.. nice cat analogy!!

Got a chuckle outta that one.

Nice "Pet" Luk.....

What u going to name him??


LOL

SH

[pepe.king.prawn]

The bait worms you're thinking of are pile worms, twice as disgusting as bristleworms, but MAN did you get a big one in that LR!! I'm impressed. I go to great lengths to try and get them out of my tank. Scavenger or not, I don't want them. I put an arrow crab in my tank, but I have no idea if it's actually caught any.

heh.. wow that's a big worm

[SuperSizeMe]

Originally posted by Izsabelle
That can't be the same thing as the bait worms at the shop. The bait worms are pretty harmless. It looks similar, but I've hooked the bait worms, and they aren't too bad as long as you chop off the heads. :)
But they stop moving if you chop off the head, plus it takes the fun out of getting stung and crying on the way home from sherman's island.

[Bamm Bamm]

ok USually bristleworms are good.. This must've been some mutant variety if it was eating healthy corals=)