Ohio Reef

Reef Discussion => Inverts => Topic started by: Grymtooth on August 29, 2016, 15:14:19

Title: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Grymtooth on August 29, 2016, 15:14:19: So I have been getting a large colony of bristles in my tank lately, even to the point of buying a coral banded shrimp in hopes that he would keep the population in check. So far he hasn't eaten a single one that we can tell.

So here is one of the many reasons I hate them: tried feeding my anemone a piece of table shrimp, took him about an hour to finally get it all in (piece is smaller than a quarter btw) while I am fending off all the other denizens (cleaner, coral banded, six line, and one clown are still hungry even after generously feeding LRS). Figure he's got it in, so should be good. Go off to eat my lunch, come back and a bristle had reached into the anems mouth and pulled out the food and pulling it deep into the rockscape.

Tempted to tear whole thing down and replace everything that has holes in it (including a quite a few frags)!

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Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Karmann on August 29, 2016, 17:35:02: The green tube trap works, I can't recall who makes it but you will find it if you google bristle worm trap. I caught quite few with it.
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: lazylivin on August 29, 2016, 17:39:04: The anemone would have likely spit that out anyway. They should be able to get the food down in a minute or two otherwise it is likely to large. They take it in but in an hour or two spit it back out. To much small food they will do the same. Small mysis or a single 1/4" x 1/4" piece of meat is max if the anemone is 6" or less. But this is anout bristles so I digress. The only thing I have seen eat them are coral banded shrimp but there probably is plenty of other things that do as well. Check at night with flashlight. That is when they show down on small ones.
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Cbergman on August 29, 2016, 17:47:54: Coralife makes a green tube (trap) that comes with bait that works rather well.
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Humphrey on August 29, 2016, 20:23:06: Trap a good idea.

Have heard dottybacks will go after them. Coral cove recently posted tank bred indigos at 18 bucks which is a great deal for a pre vacation sale.

Not sure how your six line would like it though. I had one that was pretty mean to new entrants of similar size.
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Kenn on August 29, 2016, 20:51:34: Wow... So much negative bristle worm energy lol

I now consider them a must have part of my clean up crew.
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Karmann on August 29, 2016, 20:58:20: Quote from: Kenn on August 29, 2016, 20:51:34
Wow... So much negative bristle worm energy lol

I now consider them a must have part of my clean up crew.
I will be happy to give you whatever I catch next
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Grymtooth on August 29, 2016, 22:17:33: I have tried the green tube before with no success. Basically they were too big around to enter the trap. Also the tank is only 24" left to right.
Trying a few other things too, but best so far is just grabbing what dares to come completely out of the rock.

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Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Topekoms on August 29, 2016, 23:43:48: I have two springer dotty backs and an arrow crab and a coral banded shrimp for mine not one thing does the trick I find with the 3 pronged approach my amount of worms has gone down. Dotty backs only eat the little ones though, the shrimp and the crabs go after the bigger ones.
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Grymtooth on August 30, 2016, 05:35:46: I am worried about trying to bring in an arrow into the tank at the moment, it's only 20gal with about 15 or so viewable. Between the cleaner shrimp and coral banded already in there, not sure how well arrow would adapt/thrive. Granted competition for food may help the cause.

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Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Steve on August 30, 2016, 18:11:17: Quote from: Kenn on August 29, 2016, 20:51:34
Wow... So much negative bristle worm energy lol

I now consider them a must have part of my clean up crew.

I have to agree with Kenn. I have hundreds of them in my 180 and never had an issue with them. I watch them at night and all I have ever seen them do is eat leftovers and work the sand bed for detritus. Coral banded will definitely eat them (if hungry) as will some dottybacks. If you are having an explosion you may want to look at how much you are feeding your tank. They will only grow to unhealthy numbers if there is something for them to eat. I used to have a large female clown that would eat them, but I would have to catch them and then feed them to her, she didn't hunt them.
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Topekoms on August 31, 2016, 00:38:58: With my tank its not over feeding it is more of the fact I have a very large bio-load by fish don't let much get by them when it comes to food.
Title: Re: Reason I hate bristleworms
Post by: Steve on August 31, 2016, 03:05:21: Quote from: Topekoms on August 31, 2016, 00:38:58
With my tank its not over feeding it is more of the fact I have a very large bio-load by fish don't let much get by them when it comes to food.

That makes since, I am sure fish poop is on the menu!