Best home made kit method for 'catching' bristle worms

[MasonRob]

We have a few and at least one of them looks fairly long (8"+).  In general I don't mind but it competes with other creatures when I feed them.
So looking for suggestions on how to catch them using items commonly found around the home.

Mason Rob

[Sunny]

When we transferred everything from one tank to the other, I wanted all my bristle worms and any other creature that was living in the sand.  We used a cat litter scooper.  Caught bristle worms and snails. 

[rancoo]

Depends on if they are in a rock or the sand. But I have leaned a 16 ounce bottle against a rock where they hang put with some food on the bottle an they climb in and can't get back out

[Boonjob]

Take a common plastic beverage bottle(20 oz,1litre,2litre etc)

1.)Cut the top of it off right when it starts to form the neck of the bottle
2.) Reverse the piece you cut off so that the top of the bottle(part with the cap) is now facing into the beverage container
3.) glue the piece you cut off this way(superglue,hotglue, etc)
4.) place food into the trap(small pieces of shrimp,squid,fish etc work)
5.) place trap into tank over night(if left out over 24hrs you may get a fish stuck in it, so over night is recommended)

- if you find the container is holding air which is causing it to float just cut a small slit in the top to allow the air out, or weigh the bottle down with sand by pouring it into the bottle.

This is an effective trap and if done correctly will catch just about anything. Just keep in mind you may get more than the bristleworm and though it doesn't take very many attempts to catch the intended target it could be a few nights before it yields.

[Boonjob]

What kind of bristle worm are they?(fireworms?). Have you noticed any ill effects on your corals etc? Most bristle worms can be beneficial as they do eat the detritus. IF they aren't hurting any corals or live stock(or you) I would leave em alone IMO. They really only ever come out after lights off so the ugly factor doesn't bother me.


If the above trap does not work for you(which I am sure it will) dottybacks make short work of them provided they aren't huge, mine ate all of them except for the 10incher I pulled out when changing up my tanks(I put a pic on an earlier thread)

[corrod]

I put in a 6 line and carpenter wrasse several months ago, I do not see any bristle worms anymore.

[Cole Harlow]

dont banded coral shimp eat bristle worms

[Boonjob]

yes

[Neogenesis]

If you have that many bristle worms, you may be overfeeding.  Their population will increase and decrease with the amount of extra food present in the tank.   

[Blown76mav]

take some pantyhose and put a piece of shrimp in it then ball it up and set it in the tank at night, the bristleworms will get caught in the pantyhose. 

[lazylivin]

It is likely a Euclid worm or fire worm. Bristle worms don't typically get that large.

[Blown76mav]

My last bristle worm I took out of the tank.......



6 inches long, almost 1" in diameter.

[lazylivin]

I remember that guy Lonnie. Gives me shivers. Neat idea about pantyhose

[HUNGER]

thats a good one

[dee99gt]

that thing is nasty!