Best method to control bristle worms

[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.....

[Sydney]

Here's a couple of pics of the worms in my nano

[Sebae again]

I voted other fish. My orchid dottyback ate all of my worms.

[silverplanet]

those pics look like the same worms i have, some of mine are 10 inches long but never touch any of my corals.

Jason

[RobynR]

We have the same ones as you Sydney, we have never seen them touch our healthy corals. We definately do not have any of the same ones as the ones in Samw's picture, they have different 'heads' and look like they are a different colour from what I can see. We don't use any specific method to control them.

[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?