Sweet worm. What is it?

[TattooedTanker]

New hitchhiker. Not sure what it is. Sorry about the bad pic, it's an iPhone

 

[cashmoney6980]

Kind of hard to tell by such a small segment of it, but it looks like a bristleworm. Not a bad guy to have, but some people don't like them. I personally don't like them simply cuz they gross me out lol. But they're beneficial detritivores.

 

[TattooedTanker]

Awesome!! It creeps the wife out but I love it.

 

[carried]

I'd check out fire worm too just to be sure.

 

[cslikk]

Hey defo looks like a bristleworm they are known for eating parts of corals and attacking small inverts and snails so be carefull

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Hey defo looks like a bristleworm they are known for eating parts of corals and attacking small inverts and snails so be carefull

No they are not. They are known for being apart of your clean up crew.

 

[cslikk]

http://www.thereeftank.com/blog/what-to-do-with-bristle-worms/

I found this was helpfull when finding mine eating corals like i said be carefull with them

 

[TattooedTanker]

Kinda worried. Fireworms are fuzzier and bristleworms and more like centipedes. Looks to new like a fireworm. Am I wrong in assuming

 

[bskerrichard27]

I'd say fire worm from the low quality pic ...I'd need a good pic to be 100%

 

[cslikk]

If i was you i would get it out just for safty sake and peace of mind

 

[Flreefer]

I would say small fireworm too. Looks to wide and flattened out to be a bristle, and its coming out in the light...good sign that its not a bristle.
I would remove it with tweezers.

 

[TattooedTanker]

I just added shrimp to start my cycle. The worm was munching on it so I tried to catch the lil bugger and dang it's fast. I also noticed two more coming out with the moonlights on. As you guys suggested I will be removing them as soon as possible. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Flreefer]

The ones coming out at night, could be regular bristle worms. They are beneficial. They will be skinnier. Maybe google bristle worms to see if these are what the others are.

 

[TattooedTanker]

Here are a few more. I got it out just in case





So cool

 

[Flreefer]

The one in the rock, is the same one that's in the Tupperware container? The one in the rock looks like fireworm to me, the one in the container..not sure, but looks like it could be a regular bristle worm. When in doubt, it's best to just remove it.

 

[TattooedTanker]

The one in the rock, is the same one that's in the Tupperware container? The one in the rock looks like fireworm to me, the one in the container..not sure, but looks like it could be a regular bristle worm. When in doubt, it's best to just remove it.

Yup it is the same one. Definitely a fireworm. The two other worms I believe are bristleworms. They only come out at night and look more like a bristleworm

 

[Daniel Fishy]

The ones on the rocks are fire worms. Chuck em!! Tupperware one hard to tell if the same get rid of em.

 

[MacDracor]

Oy. Fireworm and bristleworm are completely interchangeable umbrella names for a VERY large group of animals called polychaet worms. There are literally thousands of species, all of which can be called either fireworm or bristleworm.
Now, there is at least one species that is a bit more specific. The Caribbean Bearded Fireworm. It eats gorgonians, is diurnal, and is completely fearless. And you don't have one.
The Bobbit worm is predatory and ambushes small fish swimming near the sand. That's not what you have either.
What you have a generic, beneficial bristleworm. They do not kill and eat fish, unless they are huge and starving or the fish is severely sick or injured already. They do not munch on coral (a few notable exceptions, see above) but may eat detritus OFF the corals, or crawl between them. Contrary to popular belief, this motion does not stab the coral with bristles (worm bodies simply are not designed for that motion), so other than being a little annoyed, the coral is generally left unharmed.
The one situation in which you can absolutely count on bristleworms to eat fish/coral/anemone/etc is if the fish/coral/anemone in question is already dead or dying.
A healthy, thriving, diverse population of bristle worms is the single most beneficial thing you can have in a saltwater aquarium.

 

[TattooedTanker]

Wow! That is the single most informative answer I have ever received on this forum. Thank you! I now feel kind of bad about disposing of the worm. My wife on the other hand does not. Lol I have a few more bristle worms in the LR that are smaller and doing well. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[MacDracor]

No problem. These little guys get a bad reputation, for doing their job well. They get blamed for pretty much anything that ever goes wrong, and they are usually what kept it from either going wrong sooner, or going worse than it did. I love my bristle worms! lol