bristle worms, good or bad?
 

Just starting out a FOWLR tank, found a bristle worm on my fully cured LR. Little orange one with a black streak inside it's body (figure internal organs). I have read a few different accounts about them. What is the consensus here, good, or bad?

They tend to be a problem when they get big. More so for us, if you don't wear gloves when handling rocks in the tank. HTH

Thanks for the replies on the poll. This has helped me greatly.

Voted they are not a problem. If you were keeping corals I would say to keep an eye out (Very few species are a problem- but some will attack corals.) In a FOWLR system let them grow until they scare you with their beauty...

reply
 

I voted not a problem too, until they get big.

i vote not a prob.i found a massive 10 inch one that came with rock ,got rid of him bit scary.u wont have to many if u dont overfeed. the hairs are not too bad they dont affect my skin but might with some.

i have an 18" one in my 20.5 gallon cube....the guy leaves everything alone, will find him and night gently moving around the corals and eating the crap around the bases of them but never getting to close to cause damage to them.... one time I did watch my peppermint shrimp chase the bristle worm every where in the tank trying to get a piece of food on him haha

I have hundreds that I see and probably 1000s that I dont. I feel they are part of the clean up crew.

Thanks everyone. Looks as though I don't worry about them for now. I see lots in the tank anyways, so I'd never be rid of them anyhow.

I had a bristle worm that I just took out and I had another weird worm that came out of a rock. It was quite ugly....