Bristleworms and the skin
 

Just wondering how soon you would notice if you've been stuck by a bristleworm? Are the bristles able to get right under the skin without noticing and what would the affects be?

I was scrubbing rocks on the weekend and did check for worms but something is going on that I noticed a bit earlier in the week and I'm not sure if it may be tank related.

Dunk that area in vinegar for a period. I've read that their spikes can be dissolved in doing so. I believe there should be an itching sensation. If it's swollen and looks red suggest to see a dr and it might be infected.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...z9VXh3HAf6.jpg

i always notice right away it stings pretty good especially if you hit a big one. i've found the vinegar sorta works but some rubbing away at the area was needed to get them all out.

I didn't see any bristles in my fingers at the time, but they are starting to swell, have bumps and are itchy, got really noticable on Wednesday.

Ugh, doctors....

I'd say go in and see one. Might be wise to print out a sheet about the worm and have that as you go in. Even something like the wiki page might help if the dr isn't a salthead. :wink:

Can't get in until next week to see doc. Will hit a clinic if it continues to get worse. My one finger is swollen right to my palm and the other is just bumpy.

Bristle worm
 

To remove the bristles I spread white Lepages wood glue over the area with the bristles and wait until the glue sets a bit and then peel it off slowly.
Works for me

Sorry to hear. Dunno if you want your private digits to be a guinea pig however might be of value to post a shot or two so others can see effects of a possible bristleworm jabbing.

± 1
Or good sticky tape.

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Don't think anything would show up in a pic, unless my hand swells more. The bumps are under the skin, on one finger they are white, the other red. The white ones are itchy, red ones swollen. My assistant says they almost looks like burn blisters, but deeper in the skin, not on the surface... I know I didn't burn myself.

For those of you who have had to remove the bristles, were there any side affects? I don't know if what is going on is due to working in my tank or something else as I did not have any bristles in my fingers at the time. That's why I asked if getting stuck by a bristleworm could go unnoticed.

No, there was no side effects at all for me. I used duct tape to put them out. I had to use really good tweezers for a couple that were in further.

The last time I got mine I didn't even notice until about an hour later when I kept brushing one finger against another. Then it started to move the bristles around and it got irratated. Duct tape and a good anti-bacterial wash and I was good to go.

I've been stuck a few times but never had anything swell up, you may be slightly allergic to them. I would go see a doctor before it gets infected, or has a chance to damage something from the swelling.

Ive been stuck a couple times but noting really and it felt like tiny slivers. I actually just ignored them and after awhile they wore off, no issues after the fact at all.

Are you sure it was bristle worms? Could it be anything else?

I was thinking maybe I did touch a bristleworm and the bristles broke off, skin covered over and now its bugging me like slivers would. I have no idea if this is the cause or not, its the only thing I can think of though, not sure anything else in the tank could cause this. Before I posted this thread, I did make a call to see if maybe it was warts or something, but was told there's no way warts grow this fast nor do they cause swelling. ewwww right....

Will pop a reactin and see if that helps if it is just a reaction. Seems to be more of an issue in the mornings and evenings. Its just weird as I was working on the tank Sunday/Monday, and this started on Wednesday....

Bristleworms
 

I get stung constantly, or pricked, or whatever. I use tape to pull out the spines. I've never had a reaction of any kind, but its possible you are allergic. For me it feels like I touched a small spiny cactus.

let us know how it works out. If it was a super delayed reaction, it might not have had anything to do with the tank. However, considering the ubiquity of bristleworms in marine aquaria and you think you might be sensitive to them, I would consider wearing gloves when you work in there from now on. A minor allergic reaction can become a serious allergic reaction if you're exposed to it enough.

Any time I hear stories like this I think of my best friend, who used to work at Petland. He started working there with no allergies of any kind, but due to repeated exposure, developed a life threatening anaphylactic reaction to blood worms. He used to take care of my tanks for me when I went out of town, but stopped when he had a reaction at my place (while he was alone and I wasn't there) simply because the shelf in the freezer where I kept the marine food had previously been where I kept the blood worms when I still had a FW tank. I hadn't had any blood worms in months, but he still had a serious reaction from handling the mysis packages that were on that shelf and then touching his face.

If you are getting allergies to something in your tank, nip it in the bud and wear gloves before it can become something serious.

I get allergic reactions similar to yours when I mess with my euphyllias, the torch in particular. It can take weeks for the itching to stop

I've never had problems with bristlworms though and I've even had an entire worm wedged under my fingernail.

Reading that last sentence literally made me gag. Bristleworms are so, so, so disgusting. I was just getting used to them until I watched how they eat pellets. B-rated horror movies couldn't come up with something grosser.

I've always just let the bristles in my fingers run their course. They don't bother me too much.

careful what lurks in your rocks!

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps726886fd.jpg

That's bad ass

I had them countless times in my fingers. I use liquid skin or New Skin, the liquid bandage sold at the pharmacy. It will melt them and it also desinfect and stop the hitch.

It is not dangerous from my experience and I never had to see a doctor for this.

Last week I was stung by my black sponge. I had a feeling of intense burning and did not do anything about it. The morning after I had a small hole in my finger with a few layers of skin burned up. I really wonder what type of chimical can do this. It would be interesting to know.

I don't think bristle worms have any chimical associate with their bristle as I never felt burn or something similar. Best way to go is to put liquid skin when they are sticking out of the skin and when the liquid skin is dry, pull if off and it pulls all the bristles that are left out of the skin.

something that really help those allergic skin reaction is cortisone cream .5% sold without prescription at the pharmacy. I have little pimples often when I touch some corals and as soon as I put that cream the reaction stops and the pimples go away.