Just got live rock.. But theres pinkish worm things on em

nychris351 · 06/16/2009, 09:29 PM

Just got some live rock and theres these pinkish red worm things all over em..they hae white hairs on the bottom .. Wat are they.. Im guessing theyre bad?

brad2157 · 06/16/2009, 09:38 PM

If they are small red worms, they could be bristle worms. Do a google image search for them and see if that is what they looks like.

nychris351 · 06/16/2009, 10:03 PM

Yes they look like bristle worms.. What should i do to kill em... Let the rock dry?? Soak it in freshwater??.. If so for how long

nychris351 · 06/16/2009, 10:09 PM

Yes they look like bristle worms.. What should i do to kill em... Let the rock dry?? Soak it in freshwater??.. If so for how long

brad2157 · 06/16/2009, 10:26 PM

Most people have come to the conclusion that small bristle worms pose no threat to other tank inhabitants and are in fact good scavengers and add to the biodiversity of the tank. I wouldn't try to remove unless they are causing trouble in your tank.

nychris351 · 06/16/2009, 10:33 PM

So they are reef safe?

brad2157 · 06/16/2009, 11:39 PM

Yeah, from what I know about them, they won't hurt reef tanks. I have talked to several people about them (because they are in my tank as well) and they said they will not hurt anything.

If you look them up, you can find some methods of removing if you wanted to remove them. I wouldn't do anything personally, unless they are really big and causing any issues.

Sk8r · 06/16/2009, 11:47 PM

Good guys. Let 'em thrive. They'll clean up any overfeeding and if they get too numerous, cut back on your feeding.

joeychitwood · 06/17/2009, 05:41 AM

A photo would be helpful before we recommend keeping or eliminating any critters in your tank. That said, most older (pre-internet forum) reef aquarium books will say that bristleworms are bad and must be removed from the tank. However, they have been recognized as good scavengers and need not be removed from the tank.

bhelne01 · 06/17/2009, 05:44 AM

thanks for the insight

knoxtnreef · 06/17/2009, 06:53 AM

sk8r is that your cat because it's a "phat cat"

ROB2005 · 06/17/2009, 02:51 PM

Make sure you wear thick aquarium gloves when working in your tank, if you come into contact with with bare hands, the bristles can lodge themselves into your finger, creating a bit of a painful experience that can last for a while.

muddysr5 · 06/17/2009, 02:58 PM

I've heard that the bristle feels like a shred of fiberglass stuck in your skin. OUCH!!!

Someone posted awhile ago a bristleworm that was like 7" long or something....it was REALLY gross!

Wear gloves anytime you go in your tank...not only will you thank you, but your tank will thank you - who knows what you may accidently intro to your tank

(I get that not everyone wears quite as much lotion, with perfume in it as I, but if you are working on a car or working in the garden you just never know what you may carry on your hands/under your nails).

fishwonder · 06/17/2009, 03:02 PM

I am so stupid. I ordered from Hawaii and bought bristle worms and later I discovered that I already had plenty of them in the tank from LS and LR. I was happpppyyyyy when I first saw anenomes on my LR. I din' t know they are aptisia. Later I had a hard time to clean them out off my tank.

How ignorant a newbie can be.

06/16/2009, 09:29 PM	#1
nychris351 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: BROOKLYN Posts: 319	Just got live rock.. But theres pinkish worm things on em Just got some live rock and theres these pinkish red worm things all over em..they hae white hairs on the bottom .. Wat are they.. Im guessing theyre bad?

06/16/2009, 11:47 PM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Good guys. Let 'em thrive. They'll clean up any overfeeding and if they get too numerous, cut back on your feeding. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/17/2009, 05:44 AM	#10
bhelne01 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: florida Posts: 293	thanks for the insight __________________ The future started yesterday and we are already late... Current Tank Info: 90 w/ 30 sump;

06/17/2009, 02:51 PM	#12
ROB2005 Reefing Is My Passion! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 719	Make sure you wear thick aquarium gloves when working in your tank, if you come into contact with with bare hands, the bristles can lodge themselves into your finger, creating a bit of a painful experience that can last for a while. __________________ If at first you don't succeed at reefing, break it down and set back up😁 Current Tank Info: 75 gallon corner overflow, 4-54W T-5 , dozen blue hermits, tiger pistol/yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, banghai and pajama cardinals

06/17/2009, 02:58 PM	#13
muddysr5 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Crystal Lake, IL Posts: 207	I've heard that the bristle feels like a shred of fiberglass stuck in your skin. OUCH!!! Someone posted awhile ago a bristleworm that was like 7" long or something....it was REALLY gross! Wear gloves anytime you go in your tank...not only will you thank you, but your tank will thank you - who knows what you may accidently intro to your tank (I get that not everyone wears quite as much lotion, with perfume in it as I, but if you are working on a car or working in the garden you just never know what you may carry on your hands/under your nails). __________________ Hindsight is 20/20. Current Tank Info: 300 gal, 125 gal, 125 sump

06/16/2009, 09:38 PM	#2
brad2157 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pleasant View, TN Posts: 112	If they are small red worms, they could be bristle worms. Do a google image search for them and see if that is what they looks like.

06/16/2009, 10:03 PM	#3
nychris351 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: BROOKLYN Posts: 319	Yes they look like bristle worms.. What should i do to kill em... Let the rock dry?? Soak it in freshwater??.. If so for how long

06/16/2009, 10:09 PM	#4
nychris351 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: BROOKLYN Posts: 319	Yes they look like bristle worms.. What should i do to kill em... Let the rock dry?? Soak it in freshwater??.. If so for how long

06/16/2009, 10:26 PM	#5
brad2157 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pleasant View, TN Posts: 112	Most people have come to the conclusion that small bristle worms pose no threat to other tank inhabitants and are in fact good scavengers and add to the biodiversity of the tank. I wouldn't try to remove unless they are causing trouble in your tank.

06/16/2009, 10:33 PM	#6
nychris351 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: BROOKLYN Posts: 319	So they are reef safe?

06/16/2009, 11:39 PM	#7
brad2157 Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pleasant View, TN Posts: 112	Yeah, from what I know about them, they won't hurt reef tanks. I have talked to several people about them (because they are in my tank as well) and they said they will not hurt anything. If you look them up, you can find some methods of removing if you wanted to remove them. I wouldn't do anything personally, unless they are really big and causing any issues.

06/17/2009, 05:41 AM	#9
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	A photo would be helpful before we recommend keeping or eliminating any critters in your tank. That said, most older (pre-internet forum) reef aquarium books will say that bristleworms are bad and must be removed from the tank. However, they have been recognized as good scavengers and need not be removed from the tank.

06/17/2009, 06:53 AM	#11
knoxtnreef Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 524	sk8r is that your cat because it's a "phat cat"

06/17/2009, 03:02 PM	#14
fishwonder Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 92	I am stupid newbie I am so stupid. I ordered from Hawaii and bought bristle worms and later I discovered that I already had plenty of them in the tank from LS and LR. I was happpppyyyyy when I first saw anenomes on my LR. I din' t know they are aptisia. Later I had a hard time to clean them out off my tank. How ignorant a newbie can be.