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id please

Can someone id this worm and tell me if it is good or bad for the tank?
 

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Looks like a bristle worm to me. Most are harmless. I will remove large ones though. When doing so, don't touch the spines, as they can break off in your skin and hurt. Use something like tweezers to remove them.
 
Plain and very common bristleworm. Very beneficial to your tank unless a) the tank is swarming with them which will indicate nutrient problem - to much of it, or b) it gets very very large - more then 6-10" in which case it becomes nuisance. Mind you I have read posts on the web from people who absolutely love their 3' long worms ::) . Just make sure your skin doesn't touch them.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bristlewrmfaqs.htm
http://melevsreef.com/id/bristleworms.jpg

There are couple of bad (coral eating) species of bristlewrms, but this one is not one of them.
 
i agree .......common bristle worm...no harm at all to the tank of inhabitants.
it will eat any left over food and scavenge the sandbed ,keeping the tank cleaner than without them....and watch out for them when doing tank maintenance.the bristles sting like hell if you get them in your skin.

when they get big(over 6-8 inches) remove with a bristle worm trap.
take a regular 16oz. soda bottle cut off the top 1/3 and invert it into the bottom (making a funnel), punch a hole on both sides and tie together to secure. (i use zip ties) , bait with a piece of shrimp and place in tank , check often and remove when the worm is inside the trap.
using this method has worked well for me and you get no bristle "splinters".
happy reefing.........AL
 
albie611 said:
when they get big(over 6-8 inches) remove with a bristle worm trap.
take a regular 16oz. soda bottle cut off the top 1/3 and invert it into the bottom (making a funnel), punch a hole on both sides and tie together to secure. (i use zip ties) , bait with a piece of shrimp and place in tank , check often and remove when the worm is inside the trap.
using this method has worked well for me and you get no bristle "splinters".
happy reefing.........AL
I'll remember this for when the time comes to remove. Thanks.
 
when i tried that method all I ever caught were my cleaner or peppermint shrimp. The nassarius snails and serpent star also came a running...

if it's possible, I'd use a red piece of paper, cover it on a flashlight, grab some popcorn and watch your tank at night. Figure out which rock it is residing in and if it's movable, get that piece out for a quick freshwater blast into the hole. I caught several mantis shrimp this way - logically it should work on the worm (though like everyone stated, unless it's huge - I don't see an issue with it).
 
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