Best method to control bristle worms

[reef bound]

I had a coral banded shrimp in my red sea max, and I would check out the tank in the morning and my CB would have a bristle worm behind the rockwork all wrapped up and twisted in his big claws and he would be having a big old bristle worm breakfast. Kinda gross to see, but kinda cool too. He definitely kept them under control.

[Sydney]

Originally Posted by reef bound

I had a coral banded shrimp in my red sea max, and I would check out the tank in the morning and my CB would have a bristle worm behind the rockwork all wrapped up and twisted in his big claws and he would be having a big old bristle worm breakfast. Kinda gross to see, but kinda cool too. He definitely kept them under control.

Yeah, I've heard they are really good, but I am concerned it would eat my peppermint shrimp

[Samw]

My corals were pretty healthy when they were being devoured. The orange Ricordia (in the center bottom) had been splitting for a year and were always expanded during the day. Then they just started disappearing and it was clear that the mushrooms were being eaten. Even with pieces of the polyp missing, they would expand during the day. It was clear that the corals were healthy but just eaten. After the orange Ricordia were gone, the zoas in the area started to disappear as well. When I look in the tank at night, I can see bristleworms eating them. One minute, the polyp is there, the next, it is gone. To me, it is clear that they are eating healthy corals.

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by Samw

This is a pretty good example of why there is so much confusion on this subject. Unfortunately we use the name bristleworm on HUNDREDS of species, most of which are harmless. The picture Samw posted is a coral eater, I think maybe it's a Phyllodocid of some sort, nasty little buggers and not something you want to leave in there.

Unless you know you have something that is eating coral polyps or going after your snail population I wouldn't get too excited about it.

[Sebae again]

I think they look like fire worms.

[Aquattro]

Correct, the tiny red bristleworms commonly refered to as THE "bristleworms" don't eat coral. The eat detritus.

[Sydney]

Confusion....that is a great way to sum it up!

Can anybody post pics of the different worms? The one's I have look a lot like the one's in the last post, but maybe they don't????? I don't know anymore.....

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by Samw

My corals were pretty healthy when they were being devoured. The orange Ricordia (in the center bottom) had been splitting for a year and were always expanded during the day. Then they just started disappearing and it was clear that the mushrooms were being eaten. Even with pieces of the polyp missing, they would expand during the day. It was clear that the corals were healthy but just eaten. After the orange Ricordia were gone, the zoas in the area started to disappear as well. When I look in the tank at night, I can see bristleworms eating them. One minute, the polyp is there, the next, it is gone. To me, it is clear that they are eating healthy corals.

Very interesting, I have what I thought were bristle worms in my tank but now I'm not so sure. I have had a few zoos disapear for no apparent reason, but maybe these worms were eating them. I will have to take a closer look at them when I get home.

[Sydney]

Would a Coral Banded Shrimp eat my peppermints? How about my Nassarius?

[TJSlayer]

I have a purple legged CBS in with my 4 pepermints and 2 cleaner shrimp and have had no problems. I also still have worms in the tank and I have a 6 lne and a yellow coris wrasse, and some sort of dotty back as well yellow body with a durple cap on top.

The fish are fairly small right now but hopefully they will start to make a dent in the population. Tanks a 75gal.