Brisle worm invasion

Mattfinley · 07/24/2017, 11:11 PM

HI I have a question about trying to kill Bristle worms that have invaded my green star polyp Coral I had my green star polyp coral on my sand bed and the bottom grew closed so it makes little canals or tunnels in the coral and I now have a lot of bristle worms living inside of the coral what would be the best way to kill them and get them out without damaging the GSP

Kaiser699a · 07/25/2017, 03:20 AM

Some wrasse will eat smaller ones. A small sized fish trap baited with a piece of shrimp overnight might attract them in - I've never needed to try a trap because I have 2 wrasse that I think eat them and keep their numbers very low.

Frogmanx82 · 07/25/2017, 06:05 AM

I gave up worrying about bristle worms. They are good for the tank and the numbers will stabilize on their own.

aznflyfisherman · 07/30/2017, 03:26 PM

I believe a six line wrasse will eat all that up. Atleast in my tank they did n i dont see them anymore.

ozmosis7 · 08/17/2017, 08:12 AM

A wrasse will keep them in check, but overtime they've become considered lest pest and more of a danger while handling rocks. I've been stung by one that way, and it wasn't fun.

Sk8r · 08/18/2017, 10:09 AM

If bristleworms are invading a coral it probably means that coral is having trouble. The worms, by eating decaying flesh, can actually help a coral survive. See what might be the trouble with the coral. Are others ok? Alkalinity around 8.3?

tc2007 · 09/06/2017, 08:17 PM

Do not put a six line wrasse. They are evil. Put an Arrow Crab. They are easy to catch in case they grow too big and are causing issues.

Louis Z · 09/07/2017, 03:55 AM

2nd the arrow crab . They seem to relish them and I love seeing them pull the bristleworms apart . Some bristleworms are not benign as some think . Yes I think they are good for a sand bed but I also think there are some types that are dangerous . Trying to figure that out is difficult .

carrots · 09/09/2017, 03:47 AM

I second what Frogman said. + They are a vital part of the cleanup crew. If you want to keep their numbers down make sure your not over-feeding your fish and when doing water changes vacuum the gravel to remove more waste that is feeding them.

Khammer · 09/21/2017, 11:51 PM

Agree with carrots. they will stabilize themselves and any population explosion is most likely due to lack of siphoning and overfeeding

07/24/2017, 11:11 PM	#1
Mattfinley Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 1	Brisle worm invasion HI I have a question about trying to kill Bristle worms that have invaded my green star polyp Coral I had my green star polyp coral on my sand bed and the bottom grew closed so it makes little canals or tunnels in the coral and I now have a lot of bristle worms living inside of the coral what would be the best way to kill them and get them out without damaging the GSP

07/25/2017, 03:20 AM	#2
Kaiser699a Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 134	Some wrasse will eat smaller ones. A small sized fish trap baited with a piece of shrimp overnight might attract them in - I've never needed to try a trap because I have 2 wrasse that I think eat them and keep their numbers very low. __________________ 180g (US) DT with 30g (US) sump. Softies and LPS. Red Fire Fish, Royal Gramma, 2x Ocellaris Clowns, 2 Spot Tang, 4x Green Chromis, Lyretail Anthias, One Spot Foxface, 2x Azure Damsels, Green Clown Gob

07/25/2017, 06:05 AM	#3
Frogmanx82 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,515	I gave up worrying about bristle worms. They are good for the tank and the numbers will stabilize on their own. __________________ Exodus 8:2 Check my homepage for tank pics and details. Current Tank Info: 90 gallon, 2x maxspect R420R LED, 4 Ocellaris Clowns, Yellow Eye Kole Tang, Flame Angel, Foxface Rabbitfish, Banggai Cardinals, Azure Damsel, rock flower anemone, cleaner shrimp, serpent star

08/18/2017, 10:09 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	If bristleworms are invading a coral it probably means that coral is having trouble. The worms, by eating decaying flesh, can actually help a coral survive. See what might be the trouble with the coral. Are others ok? Alkalinity around 8.3? __________________ 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%.

09/06/2017, 08:17 PM	#7
tc2007 Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Midwest Posts: 867	Do not put a six line wrasse. They are evil. Put an Arrow Crab. They are easy to catch in case they grow too big and are causing issues. __________________ 80G Rimless + 2X AI Prime 26 HD + MP40QD + MP10QD

07/30/2017, 03:26 PM	#4
aznflyfisherman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 957	I believe a six line wrasse will eat all that up. Atleast in my tank they did n i dont see them anymore.

08/17/2017, 08:12 AM	#5
ozmosis7 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Exton, PA Posts: 75	A wrasse will keep them in check, but overtime they've become considered lest pest and more of a danger while handling rocks. I've been stung by one that way, and it wasn't fun.

09/07/2017, 03:55 AM	#8
Louis Z Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Montgomery Posts: 1,257	2nd the arrow crab . They seem to relish them and I love seeing them pull the bristleworms apart . Some bristleworms are not benign as some think . Yes I think they are good for a sand bed but I also think there are some types that are dangerous . Trying to figure that out is difficult .

09/09/2017, 03:47 AM	#9
carrots Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Mendham, NJ USA Posts: 395	I second what Frogman said. + They are a vital part of the cleanup crew. If you want to keep their numbers down make sure your not over-feeding your fish and when doing water changes vacuum the gravel to remove more waste that is feeding them.

09/21/2017, 11:51 PM	#10
Khammer Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 12	Agree with carrots. they will stabilize themselves and any population explosion is most likely due to lack of siphoning and overfeeding