worm trap

[jordsy]

So I found out I have tons of bristle worms in my tank. Im trying my best to trap a mantis but everytime I look at the trap its full of worms. They wont get stuck in it because they are like 20 cm long and half of them is still in the rocks. Im scared they will eat my corals since im finding a few smaller worms on them. I also would like to catch this mantis b4 he destroys my hermits!!! Is there a way to catch these worms without spending hours trying to catch them with tweezers?
thx for the help

[Diana]

Yep, you can buy bristle worm traps, we have one. They are a little tube you put food in and then the bristle worm can get in but has a hard time gettin out.

:)
I think you can find them at any pet store with lots of marine stuff...
-Diana

[BCOrchidGuy]

For a worm that long you may have to build your own worm trap, other than that pull out your rock, they like to live underneath it, use rubber gloves and catch em by hand or go with a hypersaline dip for the rock.

FWIW most bristle worms are not harmful and infact quite the opposite. They clean your sand, your rock etc of crud that accumulates, if a fish or something else dies a few bristle worms can polish it off before it starts to polute your tank. I believe they wont reproduce if there isn't enough food for them to do so, I'd suggest cut your feedings down, way down and see if they don't start to go away. I'd leave a few though, just my opinion.

Doug

[jordsy]

Oh yah for sure, I bought the full system and there are just so many of them. If i buy the trap and limit my feedings, Im hoping for the population to go down enough that they wont be a bother to my corals. Then i can try to focus on cathing my mantis!!