HELP! How do I get this guy out!!!

[STARFYRE]

I just bought a patch of zoas from the LFS. I was getting ready to start acclimating them and I saw a bristleworm on the zoas. He started climbing in a hole in the rock and now I can't see him. I do not want this thing in my tank. What can I do to get him out?

[brad3314]

i'd say not much until you see him completly out of the rock and then dive in and grab him with something tweezers or whatever

[STARFYRE]

I poked at the hole with tweezers till he came out and then snagged him. Thanx for responding so quickly!

[melosu58]

I have several in my tank and I`ve never really seen them do nothing but good. Maybe others have had a bad time but not me.

[Devilishturtles]

FWIW, you could have just left it in there. No harm in bristleworms. I agree with Melosu

[Kurt_Nelson]

Wow... you must've had a dumb bristleworm if you snagged it with tweezers! Or it was still groggy from the trip! Early on when I was trying to get one of mine out, it seems like it could sense me coming a mile away. I couldn't even sneak up behind it without it zipping back under a rock. Eventually, after seeing that it wasn't harming anything and they weren't multiplying like crazy, I just let it be. It comes out and makes itself visible once a month or so. Just another critter to keep the sand stirred up and eat up all the leftovers!

[STARFYRE]

I heard they're sting is much worse than their bark. I have my hands in the tank pretty often, and I dig in the sand to yank out caulerpa. I didn't want to get stung, so I figured I'd pull him out while I have the chance.

[roka64]

I love mine, they are great sand stirrers and I consider them part of my clean up crew. Generally, mine will make an apperance as soon as food hits the water.

[brad3314]

yeah i forgot to say it wouldn't hurt to leave it but i take any i see out for the same reason i don't want to have contact with them there ugly anyway.

[hc8719]

Originally Posted by STARFYRE

I heard they're sting is much worse than their bark. I didn't want to get stung

are you sure it was a dangerous kind? we observed them in biology, and i touched a preserved one, while they look vicious and terrifying, the worm didn't look or feel like it was capable of biting

[Kurt_Nelson]

Bristleworms don't bite (people at least), but their little fuzzy "stickers" will stay with you for a few days. Kind of like messing with fiberglass insulation without gloves, but a little worse. I think that's what people are concerned about.

With all the bacteria floating around in your tank, as well as some of the nasty bacteria that are on your corals, if I'm going to have my hands in the tank for more than a few seconds, I either put on surgical gloves, or the long sleeved ones if I'm going deep.