Bristleworms Are Killing My Cleanup Crew

[ladyhealth]

Hello everyone,
I have my JBJ 28 gallon HQI with goal of setting up a mixed reef tank. We added the clean up crew a few nights ago. To my amazement my husband and I found a green bristleworm about 12 inches! But it could be bigger b/c we never saw the tail. And to our horror we saw it attack my living, healthy hermit crab. It also grabbed one of the living, healthy Astrea snails and started to drag it back to it?s hideout in the rock. My husband had to intervene to save the snail! This sucker is probably starved because we had rock curing in a container for over a month! (just had a baby girl)

Yesterday, we saw another bristleworm (about 3 inches, but its tail was still in the rock) and it was eating a small hermit crab. Only the legs are left

These things are really creepy and it was really aggressive. My husband shined the flashlight on it and it didn?t care. It only ran away one he tried to grab it with his gloves. But those nasty things are fast. Please help! I want to get these awful things out! We?ve seen at least 3 so far!

I've heard that some of the available traps for sale may or may not work. Also, I'm not sure if I will be able to catch this worm with a home made trap, since he never leaves the rock entirely. Last time I tried to grab him with prongs and even my hands (I was wearing shoulder high rubber gloves), but he is just too quick as he retracts into the rock. Any advice?

Help me , please? I want to get rid of these things before we start adding corals and clams.

 

[DontXtripNfall]

well since you only have CUC and no fish or corals to worry about why not take that rock out and try to get a better grab at it,.. or maybe try to kill it somehow?

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

That's what I called scary.

 

[danny]

bristle worms

I never heard of bristle worms eating a clean-up grew unless they were dead. They are more a type of scavenger but I know a six-wrasse will eat them.
there are also other fish that enjoy bristle worms.

 

[Killerdrgn]

they might not be bistle worms. Got any pics?

 

[Killerdrgn]

6 line won't eat a foot long bristle.

 

[qckwzrd]

I have tons....and I mean tons of bristleworms in my 15 gallon nano. I've seen a few that are 6" and others smaller. I have a few nassarius snails, blue leg hermits, turbos and other snails.

You can always put arrow crabs in since u don't have corals or fish to eat the worms.

Any pics?

 

[kris]

Dunk the rock in a bucket with a super high SG like 1.30. The worms will come out and you won't kill anything.

 

[Fragmented]

are you sure its a worm. How is it grabbing thigs? are you sure its not a mantis shrimp?

 

[HaloStalker]

lmao wow that suckz, actually im kind of in the same situation lmao

i have a jbj 28 and i purchased LR from Bob=P and i got a 12+ blue bristle worm which is pretty cool actually i like him and i observe him scrubbing the rockz for algae sometime but my tank will be a small invert tank so i'll let u know how it goes lmao, but i do know storys of weird worms that are actually preditors and can hunt down sleeping fish and most of them actually can go after ur coral but these are super big rare worms so idk

 

[ladyhealth]

Thanks all for the quick repsonse. I forgot to mention that I have two false percula clowns in the tank.

I've tried taking pics, but these guys are fast. When the flash comes on, they are quick enough to go back into the rock.

These are not mantis shrimp. i'm amazed that the 12 inch worm can grab with his head/teeth and pull on the Astarea snails. I do have another tank, 35g hex, that only had water with salinity 1.024. I like the suggestion of increasing the salinity and having the worms come out.

Any advice on traps with food as bait?

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Hi

Get a nylon stocking and put silversides or some other meaty food inside. Tie a knot on the end and put into your tank at night. In the morning any bristleworms that you have will be snared by the nylon stocking. Pick up the stocking with a net and disgard

I also do not think that do any damage but if they are bugging you get them out

HTH

Andy

 

[RyanG]

Bristles are a major part of your clean up crew, I would remove the large one(>6") they will eat up detrius and uneaten food and the like.

 

[ladyhealth]

Andy,
Quick question re: your suggestion, which I like. How will the bistleworm get inside to the meat if I tie the end of the stocking? Will he simply wiggle his way into the porous stocking to the meat and get stuck inside? If this is how he gets in, then wouldn't he be able to get out in the same fashion?? Thanks

 

[KathyC]

I think he means a bristleworm will get stuck to the outside of the stocking. The food is inside as a lure.

Can you get a pic without using the flash?

I have loads of bristleworms and have yet to see them eat any snails or hermits in my tanks.

 

[sporty]

If they are moving really fast then they might not be bristle worms this is a first I heard of a bristle worm attacking anything

 

[HaloStalker]

i actually observed my blue worm come out and eat algae off the rock with his mount i saw him eat a whole patch clean and i tryed to take a pic but it didn't come out good and he is right if they have there tail still in the hole they came out of, then they can jolt back into the hole sort of like nightcrawler(earth worm)

 

[johnmaloney]

they make a bristle worm trap that most of the lfs carry. I haven't used it myself, but I heard from others that it has worked.