castiel Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 So this is the second time I have seen this worm. Last time I saw an inch of it as it came out to drag a pellet back into its hole. But this time it came fully out, and it's massive! At least 6 inches, if not more stretched out. Should I be looking to get it out? Or keep it as it obviously plays a good CUC role at the moment ... Link to comment
Akiowalt Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I'll get this thing out! Is big and make me worry Link to comment
ThePhilosopher Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I can make a dirty joke here, but I'm not a smart man. Joking aside, 6 inches seems like a bit too much for a pico. I guess you are right about it being a vital component of your CUC, though. Really it's up to you, but there's no guarantee that this thing is not going to get bigger. Be careful if you have small fish in the same tank, as I've heard people saying how some of their smaller fish have been eaten by large bristle worms. Link to comment
castiel Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 Yeah I think that is my only concern really. The little YCG in there is pretty fast, but if he got taken while sleeping or perching on the rock I wouldn't be happy ... Guess I will work out how to catch it. Link to comment
Addinali Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Once they can kill shrimp and snails get them out asap Link to comment
HVani Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I had a 11inch bristelworm in my 14 gallon. He never bothered anything but he was really too large for the system. I believe he passed away due to not being able to get enough food. Link to comment
Trogdor447 Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 he is too big when he goes after your hand! they r good stuff never seen em go after anything other then scraps Link to comment
Alkamist Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 thats a pretty big one, use a turkey baster to get him out. Link to comment
Addinali Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 We had one about 2 feet and 3 inches around at my work come in on a piece of live rock why we where unbagging the rock my co-worker found it in the most unplesant way. Needless to say he couldnt move his have for a week it hurt so bad. Link to comment
Woogalie Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Thats a big worm! I would try to catch it and destroy it! Link to comment
Nasty Canasta Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Yep get rid of it, I lost my scooter to a big worm a while ago...since then its been war! For decades aquarists regarded them as a dangerous pest to be removed on sight, then recently all this garbage started about them "only eating dead things" and being "Valuable members of your cuc" that's total monkey spunk, i've seen them go after perfectly healthy fish, shrimp and snails, and these aren't eunice either...mind you many in my nano are a foot long or more...do yourself a favour and send it one the big white waterslide of doom! Link to comment
ry05coupe Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Usually when they reach 10" because I get jealous. Link to comment
mmcguffi Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 false bristle worms are harmless no matter how big they get. I have/had several 12"+ in my 6 gal. their populations/sizes will manage themselves based on available excess nutrients in summation, everything is fine and dont worry about it. Link to comment
Rocket Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 They are harmless except when you go to pick up a rock. and thousands of needles stick you. Link to comment
Nasty Canasta Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 false bristle worms are harmless no matter how big they get. I have/had several 12"+ in my 6 gal. their populations/sizes will manage themselves based on available excess nutrients in summation, everything is fine and dont worry about it. Yet another fallacy in my experience..I was told the same story..but I had nothing in my tank for three months, no food was ever added in all that time and yet they continued to grow and breed. 12 months on I have trapped many hundreds of worms and yet still they keep appearing, growing and breeding despite almost no food being wasted by my fish... Link to comment
mndfreeze Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Nasty, there has to be food for them to grow and reproduce. Light energy gets turned into sources of food for things. So 3 months of nothing else just lights is enough to create food in your tank. fish WASTE is food for a bristle so how much your fish miss has nothing to do with it. Bristles are harmless. Link to comment
Rabidgerbil38 Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I'd say this is to big That things big enough to eat a fish lol Link to comment
mndfreeze Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 common bristles, harmless, fireworms, bad. The video nasty posted was ID'd as a fireworm. the common bristles everyone freaks out about don't have the mouthparts to do that to a fish. Link to comment
wartskin Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I just pulled 1 out today, found 1 creeping around my maxima 1 night.... next morning..... dead. Also have found 1 stealing food from inside my dendro too Link to comment
castiel Posted September 5, 2011 Author Share Posted September 5, 2011 Wow, very varied responses. I'll let you all know if and when I decided to remove it, but I am not so concerned having read some of these replies. Link to comment
ThePhilosopher Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 They're generally harmless, but you might want to trap a few and cut on feeding if there is a population boom. Bristleworms are, technically speaking, detrivores, meaning that they will eat dead and decaying matter. What causes some to go after living things can be a variety of factors, from hunger, to size, and I think most importantly, species. Link to comment
Philip271 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 I've also read that bristle worms are harmless and good part of the CUC... I know I have at least one 3-5" one in my rocks. Few days ago, I added two small gobies each about an inch long and also a coral banded shrimp. For the past three days, I have not seen either gobies! I didn't think the coral banded shrimp was the murderer since the gobies hides in the rocks and the shrimp is way too slow to catch them in the open... Now I wonder if the bristle worm got a hold of the gobies at night... I looked around the tank and know they didn't jump out... it's very strange that they aren't out if still alive since they were out the first day when I added them. There is nothing else in the tank besides corals, few tiny hermits and snails... hmm... Link to comment
bluebastion Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Yep get rid of it, I lost my scooter to a big worm a while ago...since then its been war!For decades aquarists regarded them as a dangerous pest to be removed on sight, then recently all this garbage started about them "only eating dead things" and being "Valuable members of your cuc" that's total monkey spunk, i've seen them go after perfectly healthy fish, shrimp and snails, and these aren't eunice either...mind you many in my nano are a foot long or more...do yourself a favour and send it one the big white waterslide of doom! hahaha I love this. ...and I concur. This is one big reason I went dry rock (seeding the tank with live rock in sump only). My last nano had a big bristle worm that I only saw at night. I'd rather have no worms than a chance of one growing too big. As a side note, they are good members of a clean up crew when small... unfortunately, unlike other members of a CUC, this one can grow out of hand. Link to comment
HVani Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 I've also read that bristle worms are harmless and good part of the CUC... I know I have at least one 3-5" one in my rocks. Few days ago, I added two small gobies each about an inch long and also a coral banded shrimp. For the past three days, I have not seen either gobies! I didn't think the coral banded shrimp was the murderer since the gobies hides in the rocks and the shrimp is way too slow to catch them in the open... Now I wonder if the bristle worm got a hold of the gobies at night... I looked around the tank and know they didn't jump out... it's very strange that they aren't out if still alive since they were out the first day when I added them. There is nothing else in the tank besides corals, few tiny hermits and snails... hmm... Coral banded shrimp have been known to eat small fish. They are pretty aggressive shrimp and faster than you think. I think it is more likely your shrimp got the gobies than a bristleworm. Link to comment
Philip271 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 yeah... it's possible... just didn't think the coral banded shrimp can reach the gobies hiding in the rock crevasses. either way, both gobies are gone. coral banded shrimp are known to eat bristle worm... so I'll let them fight for the king of the hill spot. Link to comment
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