Ok Guys here is the deal. I can not figure out what these are but I am worried. They look like a blood worm or a centipede. it is red about 1 to 1.5 inches long and has small legs. A bunch of small legs. It liuves in my sand and in my live rock. and I am not sure but I think it is eating my live rock. this is to be a reef tank Soon and I do not know what to do. I am afriad to put anything in here. I can not catch them they are fairly fast. I have one green chromis in there and he will not eat them. If I know what they are then maybe I can do somthing about them. Can anyone please give me a clue as to what they are....HELP!!!!
Mysterious Red thing eating my tank ?
- Thread starter freedom75
- Start date
Sounds like bristle worms. Try adding a arrow crab. I have used them for bristle worm control quite a lot. They seem to love them and are built for the task of reaching into small holes and crevices with thier long skinny claws. They are the only reef tank inhabitant that I am aware of that will readily eat bristle worms. There may be more but I am sure of the arrow crab.
[ August 05, 2001: Message edited by: Sniper308 ]
[ August 05, 2001: Message edited by: Sniper308 ]
Here is a link to a page with a bristle worm on it.. It is the hitchhiker page. The fifth picture down the page.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/pages/main_pages/faq_rock3.htm
Springeri dottyback also eats bristle worms. And are reef safe. Only bristle worm we found since we have that fish was in the filter.
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/pages/main_pages/faq_rock3.htm
Springeri dottyback also eats bristle worms. And are reef safe. Only bristle worm we found since we have that fish was in the filter.
Well guys it is bristle worms I have about 4 or 5 that I can see. I have them in my 72 bow front and my 20 gallon tank to. Are they eatting my live rock or are they just cleaning it. I think I will get an arrow crab to take care of it unleess someone Knows of a reason I should leave them there
Bristle worms are not eating the live rocks but the stuff in it.. By the way, try to get some info about arrow crab. What I have read about them is they can cause your fish to *disapear*... Here is a cut and paste from what I have read.. (one among others)
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Arrow Crabs, also known as Spider Crabs, are hardy inverts and common in pet stores all over the USA. They can cause your other fish to "disappear" and they can destroy a reef if they are housed with incompatible fish. In immature reefs, those containing NO corals or other inverts, Arrow Crabs have been known to take care of fire or bristle worms.
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This is from http://www.petwarehouse2.com/gillsgrotto/species/arrowcrab.asp
Not sure what your plan in the future are but I would suggest you to do a little research on that beast.. Since you do not have anything in tank yet, it might be good but before adding fishes, you should decide if you should keep it or not.
Another place where they say Arrow crabs are Not reef safe:
http://www.petforum.com/marine_f/arowcrab.htm
(Planning to have crustaceans?)
Then read this one:
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0113406/TQ1/TQErika/ArrowCrab.html
On the website i gave you with the picture of a bristle worm they say only a few rare will attack corals. I know they could also attack clams from what I have read elsewhere. (can not remember the website though
)
[ August 05, 2001: Message edited by: Goldmoon ]
[ August 05, 2001: Message edited by: Goldmoon ]
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Arrow Crabs, also known as Spider Crabs, are hardy inverts and common in pet stores all over the USA. They can cause your other fish to "disappear" and they can destroy a reef if they are housed with incompatible fish. In immature reefs, those containing NO corals or other inverts, Arrow Crabs have been known to take care of fire or bristle worms.
-------------------------------------
This is from http://www.petwarehouse2.com/gillsgrotto/species/arrowcrab.asp
Not sure what your plan in the future are but I would suggest you to do a little research on that beast.. Since you do not have anything in tank yet, it might be good but before adding fishes, you should decide if you should keep it or not.
Another place where they say Arrow crabs are Not reef safe:
http://www.petforum.com/marine_f/arowcrab.htm
(Planning to have crustaceans?)
Then read this one:
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0113406/TQ1/TQErika/ArrowCrab.html
On the website i gave you with the picture of a bristle worm they say only a few rare will attack corals. I know they could also attack clams from what I have read elsewhere. (can not remember the website though
[ August 05, 2001: Message edited by: Goldmoon ]
[ August 05, 2001: Message edited by: Goldmoon ]
Bristle worms are one of the most mis-understood critters in your DSB infauna(critters). According to Dr. Ron Shimek they are probably the most essential part of your DSB infauna.
I smile every time I see one in my Reef and they are all over the DSB and in the LR. Johnny
I smile every time I see one in my Reef and they are all over the DSB and in the LR. Johnny
- Location
- Virginia
STAY AWAY FROM ARROW CRABS! They'll eat everything you own, including you if you'd succumb to their claws. I've seen them pull hermits and snails out of their shells, pounce on unsuspecting fish, and pull apart countless other species. As far as bristleworms, if you don't have them, you didn't get live rock. Don't worry about them, they're everywhere. If you look at your tank from underneath, look for trails through the substrate, and also, for anything that scoots away when you shine a light on it. If you want to control them, banded coral shrimp will eat them, as will triggers and hawkfish, but beware, because these guys will also pounce on your crustaceans, and triggers will eat almost any invertebrate or anything with an exoskeleton.
The bristleworms in my tank eat hair algae by the truck loads. I did see one of my bristleworms eat a small brittle starfish though. The starfish came in as a hitchhiker on a FL rock i have. I havent seen any of the worms bother corals although once i saw the biggest worm feel around on the briarium tree mouthing the withdrawn polyps nubbles (after lights went out on the tank), but then became uninterested and left it alone
Goldmoon, springeri dottybacks are not totally reef safe: I have seen them eating sps corals!
When you want to control bristleworms, another dottyback like the fridmani is a better choice. The fridmani also isn't as agressive as many other dottybacks.
Another good bristleworm controller is a shrimp, the Stenopus hispidus. When well fed it doesn't bother the other inhabitants, and makes a great addition to any tank without shrimp predators..
fwiw
Tanu www.tanu.nl
When you want to control bristleworms, another dottyback like the fridmani is a better choice. The fridmani also isn't as agressive as many other dottybacks.
Another good bristleworm controller is a shrimp, the Stenopus hispidus. When well fed it doesn't bother the other inhabitants, and makes a great addition to any tank without shrimp predators..
fwiw
Tanu www.tanu.nl
I have a large bristle worm (a foot long) and this one is brown with a "crown" on it's head all the other ones I have seen in my tank are pinkish. Should I be concerned I have pix of it. And I have seen him pull wads of hair algae off the rocks so when I set up the 90 gal I was careful not to injure him and put him in there along with the other bristle worms and the ton of spaghetti worms I have. I transferred the sand from two 55 gal to keep this diversity and I have so many spaghetti worms they crawl on the glass and the sand bed has the tentacles sticking up everywhere. Does anyone know where I can look at the pix of the "bad" bristles that eat corals?
Thanx
Jerry
Thanx
Jerry
Thanks Guys I think I will just ride them out and see what happens.If they are not hurting anything then they are welcome to stay in my tank. I was just worried that they might be eatting my rock or might damage coral once I start putting it in...
OK--here's the deal. Any of you out there who don't want your bristleworms, get one of those "trap 'em" traps online. After you catch them, carefully pack them and ship them to me. I'll even pay the shipping!
I've got lots of HUGE bristleworms in my tank. They are among the best detrivores you will ever have.
P.S. Putting an arrow crab in your reef tank to get rid of bristle worms would be like putting a cobra in your garden to get rid of ladybugs--if you get my drift...
I've got lots of HUGE bristleworms in my tank. They are among the best detrivores you will ever have.
P.S. Putting an arrow crab in your reef tank to get rid of bristle worms would be like putting a cobra in your garden to get rid of ladybugs--if you get my drift...
Keep the worms. They are good at keeping your LR porous and your sand clean and stirred. They also eat uneaten food,diatoms and bacteria.
I would only remove a BW if I saw it harming something in the tank. Take a look at night by flashlight when they are openly active.
I also agree to stay away from arrow crabs. Thay are fierce predators that will eat BWs and anything else they can get their claws on,including fish.
GL
Dan
I would only remove a BW if I saw it harming something in the tank. Take a look at night by flashlight when they are openly active.
I also agree to stay away from arrow crabs. Thay are fierce predators that will eat BWs and anything else they can get their claws on,including fish.
GL
Dan
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