Bristle Worms [Good or Bad for Your Tank?]

The bristle worm is a saltwater worm of sophistication polychaeta throughout the Cirratulidae family. The bristle worm is a segmented worm acknowledged by its elongated physique and hair-like bristles that poke out of the segments and defend the worm from predators.

Bristle worms are a marine species and is also a wonderful addition to a reef tank because of they aren’t poisonous and eat the leftover provides which will in every other case decompose and produce harmful ammonia. Nonetheless, there are some bristle worms that could be dangerous, and that assault and may kill completely different small fish throughout the aquarium.

What Is a Bristle Worm?

Bristle worms are from the polychaeta class of segmented worms and may develop as a lot as 24 inches in measurement if the aquarist doesn’t uncover them throughout the tank. When bristle worms first appear throughout the tank, they’re as small as 1.5 inches and are onerous to see. Bristle worms are moreover nocturnal creatures, which suggests they solely come out at evening time when the sunshine is off throughout the aquarium.

Most bristle worms are scavengers that clear saltwater fish tanks of ammonia-producing provides. One other types of bristle worms are dangerous because of they develop large and may overrun the tank and hurt tank mates. Aquarists must under no circumstances contact bristle worms because of the tiny bristles might trigger excessive pores and pores and skin irritation.

Bristle Worms vs Fireworms

Fireworms are a kind of widespread bristle worm considered dangerous for saltwater fish tanks. Fireworms are pink or orange and have white and purple bristles.

As an illustration, the bearded fireworm, belonging to the family Amphinomidae, is dangerous for reef tanks. This predator assaults and may kill healthful inhabitants akin to small reef fish and corals. The bearded fireworm is manner not just like the widespread bristle worm, which may eat lifeless fish.

The best way to Decide Bristle Worms (& The place They Come From)

The bristle worm has a protracted, segmented physique coated by hair-like bristles that defend the animal from predators. If these worms have a wonderful consuming routine throughout the tank, they are going to develop as a lot as 24 inches prolonged. Baby bristle worms are as small as 1.5 inches prolonged.

Bristle worms is perhaps unknowingly launched to a reef tank on new, residing rocks. The worms merely go unnoticed because of they disguise in small cracks and solely exit at evening time.

Are Bristle Worms Dangerous? (Habits Outlined)

Bristle worms are sometimes helpful to a fish tank. They preserve the aquarium clear and cease additional ammonia manufacturing by consuming leftover fish meals, lifeless animals, and detritus.

These marine worms is perhaps dangerous for individuals because of the worm’s bristles set off excessive pores and pores and skin irritation that lasts for a variety of hours. Eradicating bristles that preserve throughout the pores and pores and skin requires using tweezers and making use of hydrocortisone.

Bristle worms are sluggish nocturnal creatures which are more likely to reside on the bottom of the tank. They disguise beneath rocks via the day and can be found out at evening time.

Completely different polychaetes which is perhaps additional aggressive, akin to Bobbit worms or bearded fireworms, are more likely to present predatory behaviors. Bobbit worms are ambush predators that disguise throughout the sand on the bottom of the fish tank and strike with their mouths at passing prey. A bearded fireworm is vulnerable to feed on the corals or hunt fish by using its venomous chaetae to inject toxins into the prey’s physique.

Getting Rid of Bristle Worms

Usually one of many easiest methods to remove bristle worms from the aquarium is to introduce pure predators that may eat the worms. Nonetheless, some predators that feed on polychaete worms might also eat small crustaceans and completely different tank inhabitants. Most carnivorous fish gained’t eat bristle worms as a result of the worms solely come out at evening time when most fish are asleep.

Good pure predators for bristle worms and fireworms embody:

• Arrow crabs
• Horseshoe crabs
• Coral banded shrimp
• Wrasses (yellow coris wrasse, melanurus wrasse, or sunset wrasse)
• Hawkfish (flame and prolonged nostril hawkfish)
• Dottybacks (neon or orchid dottybacks)
• Gobbies

Bristle Worm Traps

A bristle worm lure is useful to remove the worms from a tank whereas avoiding the worm’s bristles. Quite a few bristle worm traps is perhaps purchased in aquarium fish retailers and on-line or made at home.

The easiest sort of lure to dispose of bristle worms is one which has a bait chamber and a variety of entrances. Considered one of these lure makes it easy to dispose of a variety of polychaetes at once.

To make a bristle worm lure at home, recycle an empty plastic bottle by eradicating all paper or plastic packaging. Decrease three small, spherical, offset holes on two reverse sides of the bottle, massive sufficient for a plastic straw to fit in.

Decrease three plastic straws in half and stick them by the use of the holes throughout the bottle. Add some bait, like small objects of meat, to the bottle. Place the bottle lure contained within the aquarium, guaranteeing that the outer ends of the straws contact the substrate. The worms must be throughout the lure inside a day.

Conclusion: Must You Take away Bristle Worms?

It’s best to remove bristle worms out of your fish tank while you’ve received classed them as polychaetes — predator-types like bearded fireworms and bobbit worms. Sometimes, widespread bristle worms are helpful creatures which will preserve a wonderful prime quality of water throughout the tank. Widespread bristle worms are bottom feeders that eat detritus and meals leftovers. One other polychaete worms are recognized to prey on smaller fish, get your hands on completely different non-fish tank mates, and destroy corals.

Bristle Worm FAQs

The following half presents some options to the favored questions on bristle worms in a reef tank:

Are Bristle Worms Harmful?

No, most bristle worms aren’t harmful. Bristle worms preserve the tank cleaner by consuming ammonia-producing provides, which is perhaps harmful to fish. Nonetheless, some types of bristle worms, like fireworms, is perhaps detrimental to the tank because of they get your hands on and kill fish and completely different non-fish members of the tank.

What Happens if You Contact a Bristle Worm?

If you contact a bristle worm with bare fingers, you’ll seemingly experience pores and pores and skin irritation and ugly sensations for a really very long time.

The best way to Take care of Bristle Worm Stings?

Treating bristle worm stings requires rigorously eradicating the bristles with tweezers and making use of hydrocortisone to the affected pores and pores and skin 3 instances a day until the irritation subsides. If indicators of infections are persistent, along with heat, excessive itching, or swelling, search the recommendation of a doctor.

Will Bristle Worms Injury My Fish?

No, most bristle worms gained’t harm your fish. Most bristle worms are harmless, nonetheless, some types is perhaps dangerous and present predatory behaviors in course of quite a few tank mates. In all probability essentially the most dangerous bristle worms are bearded fireworms, which is perhaps differentiated by their attribute purple and white bristles from the widespread pinkish-colored bristle worms.

Can Bristle Worms Injury Coral?

No, most bristle worms can’t harm coral. Most of these worms solely feed on the provides they uncover on the bottom of the tank. Nonetheless, carnivorous bristle worms, like fireworms, purpose corals alongside completely different tank mates. Fireworms have bristles that launch toxins into their victims, inflicting ache and hurt to coral.

Do All Reef Tanks Have Bristle Worms?

Certain, practically all reef tanks have bristle worms. Eliminating bristle worms isn’t on a regular basis obligatory because of they could possibly be helpful to the tank. If the worms aren’t acknowledged as dangerous to completely different tank mates, it’s safe to depart the worms throughout the tank.