Bristle worms

[mkiley0598]

my 36 gallon tank is cycling and I turned on the light today to find probably over one hundred bristle worms all over the rock. I know they are generally considered harmless hitchhiker but will some eventually die off(starve). They're just really creepy looking to me lol

 

[tangs27]

If you don't over feed the tank some should starve and eventually die. Another option is to take them out when you see them.

 

[mkiley0598]

If you don't over feed the tank some should starve and eventually die. Another option is to take them out when you see them.

thanks, are there any fish that would eat them?

 

[bribo12]

thanks, are there any fish that would eat them?

Most wrasses will to an extent

 

[Tate]

Six line will most defiantly

 

[Pimp My Fish]

They are pretty harmless so I wouldn't worry about them

 

[buhajer2]

I have them in my 6g tank and one of them almost 3 inch. And i have six line.

 

[mr_X]

A six line wrasse is not a guarantee you won't have bristle worms, as buhajer2 has found out, and if your 6 line is eating them, he's only going to go after the little ones, not a 3"er.

 

[mkiley0598]

A six line wrasse is not a guarantee you won't have bristle worms, as buhajer2 has found out, and if your 6 line is eating them, he's only going to go after the little ones, not a 3"er.

okay then it may be one of the first fish I get when the cycle is finished because a majority of them are still small

 

[mr_X]

I wouldn't worry about them. They are not bad. People pay good money for things that eat uneaten food and fish poop, and you are getting these for free.

 

[Gregcoyote]

They are creepy. I can't stand them, but everyone is right, that's just me. They don't hurt the reef at all. Most wrasse will eat the little ones. My adult melanurus wrasse will rip a big one apart. But he will do the same thing to any shrimp I add.

 

[Kimlafeiet]

agree with x. I have them, and while I too thought they were creepy at first, they are great to have for clean up. They do a good job keeping my sand cleaned up.
It seems like I had tons and tons of them when I first got my rock, but I am pretty sure they died down now with time and not overfeeding my tank.

 

[mkiley0598]

Okay thanks! maybe I'll just have to get over their creepiness if they're so beneficial