clams and bristle-worms

fresh · #1 12-27-2005, 08:39 PM

Hi all,

I took the plunge this boxing day and purchased 2 maxima clams. The question for all of you is: I have many bristle worms in the sand and rocks, will they attack my clams from the bottom? How often does this happen? What is the best way to prevent it? place them up top on the rocks or on the bottom on the sand? Which way is safer and better?

Thanks in advance.
Fresh.

EmilyB · #2 12-27-2005, 09:13 PM

I have tons of bristleworms and have kept clams for years. You may find the worms under your clams cleaning dead tissue. They have never harmed a healthy clam ime.

Jason McK · #3 12-27-2005, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmilyB

I have tons of bristleworms and have kept clams for years. You may find the worms under your clams cleaning dead tissue. They have never harmed a healthy clam ime.

Key words being Healthy clam. Some think because their dead clams are full of bristleworms that the worms killed the clam. I believe the worms just cleaned up after the clam died from other causes

J

andresont · #4 12-27-2005, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fresh

Hi all,

I took the plunge this boxing day and purchased 2 maxima clams. The question for all of you is: I have many bristle worms in the sand and rocks, will they attack my clams from the bottom? How often does this happen? What is the best way to prevent it? place them up top on the rocks or on the bottom on the sand? Which way is safer and better?

Thanks in advance.
Fresh.

I had always had worms in my tanks and never lost a coral or a clam to a worm .
I think they are very beneficial, for a sand clean up.
It was fun to whatch one day how they spawn, they were like little fire (sperm) hoses shooting left and right white staff. turned my 108 reef in to a milk tank ! Corals and all live stock were fine and i only did 5% water change.

smokinreefer · #5 12-27-2005, 11:38 PM

i agree with the info and experiences given above.

so now that thats settled, lets see some pics of the clams!

prospero31 · #6 12-28-2005, 12:41 AM

How actually do bristleworms get in your tank?

smokinreefer · #7 12-28-2005, 01:00 AM

typically they will primarily be indirectly introduced by the addition of liverock.

prospero31 · #8 12-28-2005, 01:07 AM

That's what I thought - guess I killed all of them when I cured my rock since I have not seen any

smokinreefer · #9 12-28-2005, 01:12 AM

heh well all you need is a couple of the little suckers to get established in your tank and you'll end up with a healthy population of the worms. all it takes is time, as with everything else in this hobby.

fresh · #10 12-28-2005, 05:42 AM

THANK YOU ALL VERY VERY MUCH... I was a bit worried for a while there.

Smokinreefer, I promise that some pics will be up soon... I haven't taken a single shot of my tank yet, so definately it is time for some pics, and I will definately be showing them off

lol.... sit tight