are my peps bristle bait?

[BustytheSnowMaam]

Hi all,

 

I have to admit that when I read many of you describing how scary your bristle worms were, I thought you all were sissies.

 

I had seen part of mine, once, at like 3 am, and I didn't think it was all that scary. I think maybe I saw a segment of it as it slithered from one hole to another, so I knew it was there.

 

Now, today, I got my PA order, and I added my two peppermint shrimp to the tank. They immediately settle in and start hanging upside down in a cave. After about 1/2 an hour, all of a sudden, my bristle worm decides to emerge from his hole. He has NEVER come out during the day before, he scarcely comes out of his hole at night, let alone during the day. Let me tell you, I am not easily spooked, but that thing put the fear of God in me. It was a Faustian nightmare, the grossest being I have ever seen. About 3/4 of an inch wide and about 8 inches long. My daughter and I just stared, eyes wide in revulsion. It went into a hole, only to come out again a short while later. I'm fairly certain it's one of those fire bristles, it sure looked like one. Of course, by the time my husband came home, it refused to come out any more, so he didn't believe my fish tale about how big and ferocious it was.

 

What the heck? Why did it decide to come out then, in the middle of the day? Did it smell peppermint shrimp? I'm wondering if it's going to wait for the peps to molt then attack them?

 

Tasha

[ross76053]

Did it smell peppermint shrimp?

Yup, that's exactly what happened. My bristleworms also came out when I added peps. They also come out immediately (like within 30 seconds) whenever I feed. But my bristleworms are teeny, so no worries. I don't think you need to worry, either, no matter how big your bristleworms get. They're not fast enough to get your shrimp, nor are they interested.

 

Ross

[hhasty79]

Ditto what Ross said. They come out when they smell food, or sometimes just smell something *different*....if the peppermints smelled yummy and or worth investigating, it probably just came out to check 'em out.... It won't attack them.