MikeB
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- Joined
- Feb 12, 2013
- Location
- Guelph, Ontario
I
Fireworms? Good or bad?
- Thread starter MikeB
- Start date
MikeB
Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2013
- Location
- Guelph, Ontario
I
IMHO, harmless. Unless you touch one. I had a bunch when I first got in the hobby, I would just suck them out with a siphon at night when the big ones came out. Used a turkey baster on the small ones. They never did anything bad other then creep out the wife and kids.
MikeB
Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2013
- Location
- Guelph, Ontario
The wife says they have to go. Lol.
I guess the boss put her foot down
olice:
I guess the boss put her foot down
olice:
Skim
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2014
- Location
- Brantford, Ontario
Well Mike some will say they are not good and some say they are all right because they will stir the sand bed and eat all the uneaten food. I myself do not like them because when I had my tank running I had a ton of them, they reproduce quickly. I had caught one it was a thick as mike pinky and about 3" but he could stretch out to 8 to 10 and I know I must have had a Monster in the tank too because I watched the tank at night one time and could watch the sand move from this one it was like something out of a SIFI movie.
The thing that pissed off the most was I lost 3 Clams to them. They would attack from the bottom and eat them from the bottom up.
Oh ya you don't want to touch them either the bristles will stick to you and it can be irritating and a true fire worm well like the name says it will burn. The ones in the photo's are just like the ones I had, a true Fireworm I believe is all red. I had seen a photo in a book and the guy had done a tare down and caught a 4 foot one and never knew it was there.
How do you get rid of them? Well that's not that easy I don't think you can ever get rid of them but may be get them and keep them under control?
1. Go easy on the tank feedings if they have lots to eat they will reproduce quickly.
2. There are certain fish and crabs that will eat them as the find them.
3. Harvest them, put a some food like a pc. of shrimp in a pc of nylon stocking or small container that can be taken from the tank with ease. You do this at night when lights are off so what you will be doing is fishing in your fish tank. Tie some fishing line to the pouch of bait you have made and lower it in to the bottom and wait with a flash light and when you see a ball off bristle worms you slowly pull them out, keep a fish net under it as you lift to catch any that fall off. This will also give you a good idea how bad of a population you have. If you have it bad it may freak you out at first because its like the floor of the tank comes alive and you see all kinds of movement in the sand and they will be coming out of the rocks hey if you got kids and want to freak them out, you know like next time your BAD your going in the tank to catch the worms HA HA HA.
Well I hope this maybe of some help to you and let us know how you make out.
All the best and good luck!
Mike
The thing that pissed off the most was I lost 3 Clams to them. They would attack from the bottom and eat them from the bottom up.
Oh ya you don't want to touch them either the bristles will stick to you and it can be irritating and a true fire worm well like the name says it will burn. The ones in the photo's are just like the ones I had, a true Fireworm I believe is all red. I had seen a photo in a book and the guy had done a tare down and caught a 4 foot one and never knew it was there.
How do you get rid of them? Well that's not that easy I don't think you can ever get rid of them but may be get them and keep them under control?
1. Go easy on the tank feedings if they have lots to eat they will reproduce quickly.
2. There are certain fish and crabs that will eat them as the find them.
3. Harvest them, put a some food like a pc. of shrimp in a pc of nylon stocking or small container that can be taken from the tank with ease. You do this at night when lights are off so what you will be doing is fishing in your fish tank. Tie some fishing line to the pouch of bait you have made and lower it in to the bottom and wait with a flash light and when you see a ball off bristle worms you slowly pull them out, keep a fish net under it as you lift to catch any that fall off. This will also give you a good idea how bad of a population you have. If you have it bad it may freak you out at first because its like the floor of the tank comes alive and you see all kinds of movement in the sand and they will be coming out of the rocks hey if you got kids and want to freak them out, you know like next time your BAD your going in the tank to catch the worms HA HA HA.
Well I hope this maybe of some help to you and let us know how you make out.
All the best and good luck!
Mike
MikeB
Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2013
- Location
- Guelph, Ontario
They weren't in my tank. Lol. They were in some live rock that and got with some blue/mushrooms. When I broke therock to fit in where iI wanted the shoots they were inside.
Nice post and thanks for the help.
Nice post and thanks for the help.
Skim
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2014
- Location
- Brantford, Ontario
Just would like to offer some more input to Bristle worms are harmless. Like I said before I lost 3 Clams to them and I know I lost some corals to them also. I know before everyone says your nuts they did not start the problem with the Corals they just finished it.
I had picked up a Elegance a nice one and all was fine a first after a few days I noticed it was not expanding as much but put off to just getting itself comfortable. Then I was by the tank one day when the lights came on and just on the under side of the coral were the flesh and skeleton meet I seen about 5 or 6 worms, not to soon after seeing that the elegance started to recede and in 2 days about half the coral was gone. So if the coral has some type of damage to it or becomes stressed in my eyes its like ringing the dinner bell.
I lost a fish one time and could not find it I knew it was probably dead but wanted to pull it out of the tank. Well boom next day its in front get the net and pull it out, well what do I see about 3 or 4 holes in its sides and ya they were inside doing the much.
You ever lost a coral and wondered how it could recede so quickly?
They are scavengers.
Mike
I had picked up a Elegance a nice one and all was fine a first after a few days I noticed it was not expanding as much but put off to just getting itself comfortable. Then I was by the tank one day when the lights came on and just on the under side of the coral were the flesh and skeleton meet I seen about 5 or 6 worms, not to soon after seeing that the elegance started to recede and in 2 days about half the coral was gone. So if the coral has some type of damage to it or becomes stressed in my eyes its like ringing the dinner bell.
I lost a fish one time and could not find it I knew it was probably dead but wanted to pull it out of the tank. Well boom next day its in front get the net and pull it out, well what do I see about 3 or 4 holes in its sides and ya they were inside doing the much.
You ever lost a coral and wondered how it could recede so quickly?
They are scavengers.
Mike
Skim
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2014
- Location
- Brantford, Ontario
Well sorry to say Mike if you did not have them before chances are you will now. If you seen the big ones there will be babies and they are small and chances are they where all over that rock. Just keep your eye on it do the flash light at night and check things out.
I would say most of the time probably not an issue but if you get it bad like I had well its a pain in the you know. You may even want to try out the bait thing one knight who knows what may come out. Live rock can be a wondrous thing I someone who had three corals grow out from the rock they bought 2 softies and one acro and heard of one guy who got a baby Eel now that's one for the story books. That one must have been back in the days when they collected the rock.
All the best.
Mike
I would say most of the time probably not an issue but if you get it bad like I had well its a pain in the you know. You may even want to try out the bait thing one knight who knows what may come out. Live rock can be a wondrous thing I someone who had three corals grow out from the rock they bought 2 softies and one acro and heard of one guy who got a baby Eel now that's one for the story books. That one must have been back in the days when they collected the rock.
All the best.
Mike