Bristleworms

[joker577]

Anything I could get that eats bristle worms and copepods? Invertebrate that is

 

[returnofsid]

There really aren't any inverts that are going to help you out there. BTW, why do you want something to eat your Bristleworms or pods? Both are very beneficial to your tank. If have have a huge over population of Bristleworms, it's probably because you're feeding your tank too much.

 

[joker577]

I saw one eating off the shrimp that was about to be consumed by my BTA when I came home...some say they're harmful some say they're beneficial so i was just curious.

 

[returnofsid]

There are many many species of Bristleworms. Of the hundreds of species, only 3 or 4 are harmful to our reef tanks. Those 3 or 4 are also very rarely found in our tanks. The remaining many species are very beneficial at keeping out live rock clean, scouring our tanks for detritus and many other useful things.

Now just because they're beneficial to our tanks, does NOT mean they're beneficial to US. Don't grab them and be careful when moving live rock and such. Their tiny "hair" like structures can break off in our skin causing irritation. If this happens, pour vinegar on it. That's also a great remedy if you get stung by corals, by the way.

 

[kendog261]

If you want to get some out of the tank get a hard piece of tubing and attach some soft tubing onto it and when the light are off use a red flashlight and siphon them out

 

[joker577]

I think it hides under my anemone lol

 

[Snowboarda42]

I think Coral Banded Shrimp eat Bristles, but I just saw mine try to eat a fish. He's in my 'fuge now.

 

[thumperss]

a 6 line will eat them.
Brandon

 

[joker577]

How would those be in a 29 gal bio

 

[thumperss]

it depens on how long your tank has been set up.

 

[ecobalance]

Aero crab

My Aerocrab has one in his claws daily,and a neon dottyback is a bristleworm destroyer

 

[joker577]

Now I just think I have hundreds...literally hundreds of brittle stars on my glass...they're white with weird tentacles

 

[thumperss]

how big?????????????

 

[joker577]

i'd say less than a mm-a mm...it's like white specs all over the glass

 

[c0yote]

i'd say less than a mm-a mm...it's like white specs all over the glass

Sounds like Spirorbid polychaetes (see link below)
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/photos_corals/showphoto.php?photo=634

Bristleworms are detrivores just like vultures. Just because you see a vulture eating a zebra, does that mean the vulture killed it? Very useful in ridding your tank of uneaten food, dead animals, etc. Appearance seems to be their only downside.

As as for copepods, see the link below
http://www.oceanpods.com/faq.htm

 

[FEATHER_DUSTER]

Thank's for all the info., but my experiance is that I have seen a bristleworm tear open the foot of my dear departed Sebae. Also, I have both a six line wrasse, and a neon Dottyback and they stay away from my two foot long bristleworms. LOL...I bought the traps to see them stay empty for weeks on end, so I guess my last effort at destroying these pests will be to get an Arrow Crab. Perhaps someone could rent me one. LOL..... I have been collecting polyps and mushrooms for years and I don't want them to be departed by an Arrow Crab. "Catch 22" trade one pest for another???

 

[joker577]

Well they have 6 tentacles...like a starfish

 

[finkebluetang]

My Copperband Butterfly loves eating bristle worms. That is a good fish to have in your tank if you want to get rid of them.

 

[Jan]

Big bristleworms are scary though... I grabbed a couple that were ~6" long with long-handled tweezers. I wouldn't want to tackle one that was much bigger than that!

 

[FEATHER_DUSTER]

THANK EVERY ONE I 'm GREATFULL THAT EVEYONE IS WILLING TO HELP.. I THINK I'LL GET A COPPER BAND I LIKE THE WAY THEY LOOK .. THEYLL HAVE A LOT OF FOOD..HOPE TO SEND PICTURES SOON..