Help with bristle worms

[vetschroger]

Leslie I was referred to this forum to talk to you about eradicating some bristle worms from my tank. I bought the tank about a year ago and it was my first sw tank. After getting it home I was doing some rock scaping and discovered that I had a massive bristle worm infestation. I know that they are beneficial but under one rock I literally pulled out a handful (with gloves) from the tank. There is still a very large population and I was wondering what I can do to get rid of some of them. I have had a couple of run-ins with them and have learned that they really are painful to handle!!! I bought a orchid dottyback as I was told they sometimes help but it shows no interest in the worms at all. What can I do for them to get this under control? My tank is a 29g. All of my water parameters seem to be ok I just need to find a way to control these worms.

 

[Krish]

Haven't seen Leslie here today, but I'm sure she will chime in as soon as she sees the thread. In the meantime, here's a bump incase teh others may be able to help.

 

[kingtrident]

I just use a large long pair of forceps to grab them especially when I am feeding. I have heard that most wrasses will eat them. I pulled a 7 incher out a month ago, good idea idea with the gloves. Good luck

 

[Scampy]

I've syphoned out a bunch of small ones with a piece of airline tubing

 

[Krish]

I just use a large long pair of forceps to grab them especially when I am feeding. I have heard that most wrasses will eat them. I pulled a 7 incher out a month ago, good idea idea with the gloves. Good luck

Welcome to RF "kingtrident" :welcome:

 

[LeslieH]

I'm really the wrong person to ask about removal - I like bristle worms! Throw out those boring old corals & fish & bring in the worms, that's my motto. ;-))

Arrow crabs are known predators but they also go after anything else they can catch. Wrasses are good. Baiting them out works well. I had a tank full of nereids & they would all pop out as soon as I added their food so it would have been really easy to grab them with tongs if I had wanted to.

Even if you get the world's best predator you'll still have a problem until the real issue - which is that there's too much food for them in your tank - is cleared up. Detritivore populations go up & down depending on the amount of food available. Cutting down on supplemental feeding, getting a better clean up crew, & periodically siphoning out detritus if it starts to accumulate will help keep the worm numbers down.

Good luck

 

[vetschroger]

Thank you all for the advice. I think that with this information I can get a plan of action to get the numbers down a little bit. I had heard about arrow crabs, but was told that they will eat other things that I don't want them to. I think cutting feedings back a bit may help the problem too.

 

[vetschroger]

I just use a large long pair of forceps to grab them especially when I am feeding. I have heard that most wrasses will eat them. I pulled a 7 incher out a month ago, good idea idea with the gloves. Good luck

The gloves were an after thought, it took me two times of having run-ins with them to discover that gloves may be a good idea!!! I guess I am kinda a slow learner sometimes!!!

 

[kingtrident]

The gloves were an after thought, it took me two times of having run-ins with them to discover that gloves may be a good idea!!! I guess I am kinda a slow learner sometimes!!!

I always tell people at work, pain is a good teacher sometimes 0=

Thanks Krish.