Bristle Worm COBRA

[Pier Pressure]

Hi, all.

The creature I found last night and was unable to remove from my tank is a fleshy pink bristle worm that is about the size of a cigarette - same thickness and maybe a bit longer than a king size. The bristles on the sides of the worm are white and are visible in "fan-like" protusions all down both sides of its body. It is flat like a centipede.

So anyway I want him gone. What is the fastest and most effective way to get rid of these unwanted hitchhikers? There are many babies in there as well.

Thank you for any replies!

[Phanman]

small plastic bottle with food in it will work.

[Pier Pressure]

I think I will pick up a bristle worm trap at the petstore. I have heard about the bottle trick but am paranoid some glue or something from removal of a label might contaminate the tank. Thank you! I figured it would be something like that. I just thought maybe there was a way to lure them out of hiding or something.

[Okguy]

The bristle worm you've described sounds like the harmless ones. I actually think they are useful scavangers. Here's a good read that will give you more information and it includes other ways how to catch them that doesn't require purchasing equipment.....

http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/bristleworm.htm

[justinl]

if you see it munching on coral, then yeah remove it. it is a true Carribean fireworm (type of bristleworm). it you dont have any coral mortalities, then why bother removing it? I would actually like having a giant centipede in my tank as part of my CUC. most bristleworms are just detritivores... just have to be careful about the rare coral lawnmower. and dont handle it barehande obviously.

i doubt yours is a carribean fireworm as i believe i read that these only occur as completely bright orange... and even some of the orange bristleworms are harmless. so innocent until proven guilty i say

[untamed]

If it is the coral eating type, you'll know because in order to eat coral they have to latch on and rasp the coral away. They remain there for hours, if not days. Once you see this behaviour, you can simply remove it with tweezers.

If you don't see this, it is probably safe to assume that you have the harmless detrivore type. In this case, I would leave it in the tank.

[Pier Pressure]

Thank you for all of this useful information. I checked out the thread and my bristle worm is the exact same colour of the small pink one in the middle picture next to the picture of the huge bristle worm. I have many corals that seem to be fine so I do not think it is a coral eater.

I think I will just leave him alone - unless I see him harming something. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck just looking at it! BTW I am a girl (Karen) and use my boyfriend's name, Roderick, on this forum.

So if "Roderick's" posts seem kind of feminine - you know why!

Thanks again!

[Midknight]

Mine was about a foot and a half when I caught him. :wink:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h209/Midknight3d/Worm5.jpg

Took up too much room in the 10 g so off he went.

[Joe Reefer]

ewwwww.....thats a big worm!!!

[Phanman]

bajesus!!! thats a massive worm

[andresont]

Worms ar good scavengers leave it there. I am yet to see one munching on corals.

[Pier Pressure]

My bristle worm is nowhere NEAR as big as that one and I have 28 gallons of saltwater for him to play in. I am going to leave him in the aquarium. As long as he will not hurt anyone I shall leave well enough alone!

[steva44]

I put mine in the refugium, he could scavange all he wants there

[Pier Pressure]

I only saw that giant bristle worm once and have never seen him come out of the rocks again. No deaths of livestock or anything. Perhaps he is a vegetarian!

Good idea to put him into a sump or refugium - but I only have a 28 gallon tank and no sump or refugium to speak of.