ID this worm please

AkaSlyGuy · 05/18/2010, 09:23 PM

What is this guy? Good, bad...?

The Reef Expert · 05/18/2010, 09:25 PM

Bad. Its a bristle worm. If you can get the little bugger, catch and kill. Personally I hate bristleworms, they can pack a nasty sting! Some Chaetodons will eat them. They are common hitchhikers. If you get liverock, you are bound to get at least one bristleworm. They are one of the most common hitchhikers.

Shane Hoffman · 05/18/2010, 09:35 PM

Not bad at all. Do not get rid of it. They are great at eating detrious and bits of food that fall behind rocks. Be careful not to touch them if you can. Their bristles can sting. Its just a bit irritating. I have dozens and dozens of them in my tank as do most people....

Shane Hoffman · 05/18/2010, 09:36 PM

If your allegic to bees and wasps I would wear gloves. I have read a few stories about people with allergies to stining animals being bothered more than normal.

ilovesoda · 05/18/2010, 09:37 PM

I have some bristle worms in my tank, and I have to disagree with "The Reef Expert." Bristle worms aren't bad, as the only thing they do is eat detritus and left over food. They don't eat coral and won't bother your fish or inverts. Just don't try to pick it up or else one of the calcium "bristles" will stab you.

If you insist on getting it out look into your tank at night with a red light. If you're able to find it use some tongs to get it out.

lvpd186 · 05/18/2010, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shane Hoffman

Not bad at all. Do not get rid of it. They are great at eating detrious and bits of food that fall behind rocks. Be careful not to touch them if you can. Their bristles can sting. Its just a bit irritating. I have dozens and dozens of them in my tank as do most people....

Agree, they are a great part of a clean up crew.

Saltfinsax · 05/18/2010, 10:32 PM

If you see what looks like them eating on your coarls, it means you have a dead or dieing coral.

AkaSlyGuy · 05/19/2010, 03:21 AM

Ok, thanks everyone. It does not bother me to have have bristle worms in the tank. I had just never seen one with the colors this one had. Usually I see the dark pink ones. This one has a lot of colors/shine to it.

Joe

returnofsid · 05/19/2010, 07:43 AM

WOW, some uninformed "reef experts" here. Bristleworms are very beneficial and a valuable part of your clean up crew.

Being allergic to bees or wasps has absolutely nothing to do with Bristleworms. Totally different venom, not at all related.

dcombs44 · 05/19/2010, 07:46 AM

+1 on not seeing any that color before in my tanks. All of mine had a dark purple/orange color pattern.

I've had tanks for about 6 years, and never seen one with that coloring. Pretty cool. Not sure if the species or morph is similar to the common bristle worm or not. I would agree that most of them are beneficial detrivores though.

AkaSlyGuy · 05/19/2010, 08:11 PM

I agree that bristle worms are not a problem, unless they are in plague numbers perhaps. I was just surprised at the coloring of this one. I moved this live sand from my established tank into my new tank's refugium. Guess I will just keep him in there for now.

Joe

robs.mark · 05/20/2010, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by returnofsid

WOW, some uninformed "reef experts" here. Bristleworms are very beneficial and a valuable part of your clean up crew.

Being allergic to bees or wasps has absolutely nothing to do with Bristleworms. Totally different venom, not at all related.

+1 why do people comment for the sake of it?!

dcombs44 · 05/20/2010, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robs.mark

+1 why do people comment for the sake of it?!

+1

Bad advice is as easily regurgitated as good advice. Unfortunately, there is a whole bunch of both in any type of forum setting. So, both will spread fairly rapidly unless the bad advice is squashed in a manner like this.

If I haven't experienced something myself, I always try to make that known when I post and suggest waiting for other opinions, or I refer to a published article written by someone who knows a whole lot more than I do.

I hate it when people will fire back an answer and act like they know it's true when they haven't the slightest bit of support for their answer.

thebkramer · 05/20/2010, 08:45 AM

Wow-zers....

(after reading some of the posts..)

Anywho...have you checked some of the great id sites for this funny colored guy? Its amazing how many critters we find in our tanks that are alittle different (or alot) from the usual suspects!!
Here are some "other" sites that have some interesting species if your interested
http://www.poppe-images.com/?t=1
http://www.marinelifephotography.com/marine/marine.htm
http://www.reefimages.com/Invertebrates_and_Scenes.htm

dcombs44 · 05/20/2010, 08:50 AM

www.melevsreef.com/id is a good one too, but it's fairly general. You won't get many broken down ids, but for general ID it's a good one.

sslak · 05/20/2010, 10:39 AM

5 years of having a reef tank and I've never seen a bristle worm do anything "BAD".

They crawl around, eat fish poo, burrow in sand, and hide in rocks...at the worst they look a bit creepy crawly.

That said, I wouldn't consider anyone with a ReefCentral join date of 2010 as an expert...unless they just discovered the internet.

05/18/2010, 09:35 PM	#3
Shane Hoffman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 45 mins from Chicago Posts: 2,009	Not bad at all. Do not get rid of it. They are great at eating detrious and bits of food that fall behind rocks. Be careful not to touch them if you can. Their bristles can sting. Its just a bit irritating. I have dozens and dozens of them in my tank as do most people.... __________________ A wise man once said "Never play leap frog with a unicorn" Current Tank Info: 150 gallon glass with 20 gallon sump, 175lbs of coraline covered live rock, EuroReef skimmer rated for 250gal, 25watt Aqua UV sterilizer, Fluval FX5, Hamilton 3x250watt MH, 160 watt Blue actinic....Mixed reef

05/18/2010, 09:36 PM	#4
Shane Hoffman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: 45 mins from Chicago Posts: 2,009	If your allegic to bees and wasps I would wear gloves. I have read a few stories about people with allergies to stining animals being bothered more than normal. __________________ A wise man once said "Never play leap frog with a unicorn" Current Tank Info: 150 gallon glass with 20 gallon sump, 175lbs of coraline covered live rock, EuroReef skimmer rated for 250gal, 25watt Aqua UV sterilizer, Fluval FX5, Hamilton 3x250watt MH, 160 watt Blue actinic....Mixed reef

05/19/2010, 07:46 AM	#10
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	+1 on not seeing any that color before in my tanks. All of mine had a dark purple/orange color pattern. I've had tanks for about 6 years, and never seen one with that coloring. Pretty cool. Not sure if the species or morph is similar to the common bristle worm or not. I would agree that most of them are beneficial detrivores though. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

05/20/2010, 08:45 AM	#14
thebkramer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 3,198	Wow-zers.... (after reading some of the posts..) Anywho...have you checked some of the great id sites for this funny colored guy? Its amazing how many critters we find in our tanks that are alittle different (or alot) from the usual suspects!! Here are some "other" sites that have some interesting species if your interested http://www.poppe-images.com/?t=1 http://www.marinelifephotography.com/marine/marine.htm http://www.reefimages.com/Invertebrates_and_Scenes.htm __________________ Rhonda There is NO such things as Dumb Questions!! There are However.. Dumb Answers!!! ;) ____________ Current Tank Info: 55g reef....Current Orbit SunPaq Lights, HOB Eshopps, HOB AquaClear 110, 2-1400 Koralia Powerheads & 1 Nano Koralia, 40+ lbs LR, 2" LS

05/20/2010, 08:50 AM	#15
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	www.melevsreef.com/id is a good one too, but it's fairly general. You won't get many broken down ids, but for general ID it's a good one. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

05/18/2010, 09:25 PM	#2
The Reef Expert Moved On Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Wonderland Posts: 255	Bad. Its a bristle worm. If you can get the little bugger, catch and kill. Personally I hate bristleworms, they can pack a nasty sting! Some Chaetodons will eat them. They are common hitchhikers. If you get liverock, you are bound to get at least one bristleworm. They are one of the most common hitchhikers.

05/18/2010, 09:37 PM	#5
ilovesoda Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 77	I have some bristle worms in my tank, and I have to disagree with "The Reef Expert." Bristle worms aren't bad, as the only thing they do is eat detritus and left over food. They don't eat coral and won't bother your fish or inverts. Just don't try to pick it up or else one of the calcium "bristles" will stab you. If you insist on getting it out look into your tank at night with a red light. If you're able to find it use some tongs to get it out.

05/18/2010, 10:32 PM	#7
Saltfinsax Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Vancouver WA. Posts: 27	If you see what looks like them eating on your coarls, it means you have a dead or dieing coral.

05/19/2010, 03:21 AM	#8
AkaSlyGuy Premium Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Texas/Arkansas Posts: 295	Ok, thanks everyone. It does not bother me to have have bristle worms in the tank. I had just never seen one with the colors this one had. Usually I see the dark pink ones. This one has a lot of colors/shine to it. Joe

05/19/2010, 07:43 AM	#9
returnofsid Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,852	WOW, some uninformed "reef experts" here. Bristleworms are very beneficial and a valuable part of your clean up crew. Being allergic to bees or wasps has absolutely nothing to do with Bristleworms. Totally different venom, not at all related.

05/19/2010, 08:11 PM	#11
AkaSlyGuy Premium Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Texas/Arkansas Posts: 295	I agree that bristle worms are not a problem, unless they are in plague numbers perhaps. I was just surprised at the coloring of this one. I moved this live sand from my established tank into my new tank's refugium. Guess I will just keep him in there for now. Joe

05/20/2010, 10:39 AM	#16
sslak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,705	5 years of having a reef tank and I've never seen a bristle worm do anything "BAD". They crawl around, eat fish poo, burrow in sand, and hide in rocks...at the worst they look a bit creepy crawly. That said, I wouldn't consider anyone with a ReefCentral join date of 2010 as an expert...unless they just discovered the internet. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 58 Oceanic/20g Sump/250w XM 20k/2x39w T5 True Actinic 03/2010 Reef Octopus NW Cone Skimmer

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