Moving tank & found SW worms

[pipermurphy]

I had no choice but to move my tank to another room. We bought a BIG TV and had to make room.

My question is: In breaking down and bucketing I came across lots of these long orange centipede looking things. I am unsure if they are good or not. I don't have a digital camera so no pics.

Any help?

 

[dralarms]

Sounds like Bristle worms, They are good as long as you don't have too many. How big is your tank and how many worms did you have?

 

[pipermurphy]

The tank is a 75 with a 35 gal refuge and a 35 gal sump. I saw over 20 worms. some 1" some 5 ". I don't know how they hitched into the tank. I quaran and dip all new stuff.

 

[WhiteCloud]

20 worms sounds reasonable. I just helped a friend move his SW tank....and discovered his tank was infested with bristleworms. He only had a 20 gallon tank....and we took out at least 200-300 bristleworms from his tank and live rock. Yours most likely came in your live rock...living deep within...and mostly only come out at night.

It was a used tanked he bought...and I suspect overfeeding was one of the problems, which may have helped contribute to the bristleworm infestion. Nitrates being off the chart and a maroon clown which was double his normal size for a 1 year old clown were also clues.

In small numbers I have heard that bristleworms are beneficial to the tank.

 

[quarryshark]

I have several monster in my tank. One is at least 6" long. He comes out at feedng time with the rest of the animals.

 

[pipermurphy]

Thanks, but how do you control the population? Just grab some as you see them? I don't overfeed the tank, and my levels have always been good (unsure about now with the move).

 

[fishfreek]

For every worm you see there are many hidden within the rocks. They will basicly control their own population based upon food source. Fish waste, etc.

 

[quarryshark]

Don't try to grad them with your bare hands, that would hurt.
Good luck snatching them, they are pretty fast getting back in the rock.
IMO, unless you see them harming something, I would leave them.

 

[dralarms]

They come in in your rock. I would dispose of about 1/2 of them, find someone with a tank that wants them. They are good to have, just not 200 of them in a 20 gal. lol. I have 150 gal with a 29 gal ref/sump and I never see the ones I have.

 

[Brad]

If you didn't know that they were there...then the chances are good that they were beneficial for the system. Whatever they were eating, there was enough of it to support their population. I would put them all back.

 

[dralarms]

Brad knows better than me , he has over 10 yrs on me with SW. Thanks Brad for correcting me.