Found : Red Leech looking thing

[Triax]

I need to learn to post pictures but..... check this out.

I went and took my magnetic cleaner to clean algea and when I moved it a 2 1/2 inch red Leech-type of thing with filiments on the side that it used to swim - start swimming around.

I caught it and put it into a cup and eventually flushed it.

However - might anyone have an idea of what it could be - and fromt here is it good or bad that i found it. It had a black head(?) at least it swam following it ;-)

Any infor would be appreciated.

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

Bristle worm?

 

[RichConley]

sounds pretty cool...too bad you flushed it.

 

[Triax]

I have bristel worms I know that - trying to caprtue and remove them as well.
However this was about 1/4" accross and I had never seen it before - looked like a leech and therefore fot the flush. Did want to reintroduce to tank not knowing what it was.

 

[davids1024]

Why are you trying to remove the bristle worms, they are good for our tank as long as they don't get to big in size

 

[RichConley]

people freak out too much about their tank. If you dont see it doing damage, just leave it alone.

 

[Triax]

Davids1024 - I was talking with LFS - Aqua Addicts - they indicated they were not good for the tanks -

I guess the quesiton would be how big is too big for the bristelworms?

I don't want to mess with my tank as it jsut hit the broken in and balanced phase. Coraline growing everywhere

 

[jaiden]

They're too big when they gross out your wife.

 

[GinaD]

I think they're too big when you start having dreams that one got out and ate your bird.


Hopefully, you took a pic of it before you flushed it, anyway...

 

[sw300galma]

I need to learn to post pictures but..... check this out.

I went and took my magnetic cleaner to clean algea and when I moved it a 2 1/2 inch red Leech-type of thing with filiments on the side that it used to swim - start swimming around.

I caught it and put it into a cup and eventually flushed it.

However - might anyone have an idea of what it could be - and fromt here is it good or bad that i found it. It had a black head(?) at least it swam following it ;-)

Any infor would be appreciated.

Maybe next time atleast get a pic before you dump it. there are 1 million species of things in the ocean...

 

[OceanGuy]

I have some bristle worms. They eat the detritus that is left behind by other things and they stay pretty much within the rocks except to come out a bit and eat. If they are getting big that means they are getting rid of a lot of waste that they are eating. If they get too big, you can always take them out. I've seen some that are the length of a car and as wide as the width of a dollar bill.
I don't think that I would like them that big in my tank, but they were interesting to look at.

 

[Cheetos]

They're too big when they gross out your wife.

Mine gets grossed out from the little ones!

 

[Cheetos]

I think they're too big when you start having dreams that one got out and ate your bird.


Hopefully, you took a pic of it before you flushed it, anyway...

OMG I had that exact dream!

 

[dg13]

OK - I have to admit that I HATE bristleworms. I've seen traps for bristleworms - does anyone have any experience with them? Do they work?

Thanks,
Diane

 

[aquamom]

Do they work?

nope

 

[Jocko]

I had one swimming around in my tank a couple months after I got my first shipment of TBS rock. Normally, I would leave them alone, but this one was actually swimming around in the water and writhing all around. Just too gross to leave in. I caught him and put him in my gorilla crab tank. I never saw him again. Here's a pic.

 

[fanaglethebagle]

thats a cool looking bristleworm

 

[RayD]

OK - I have to admit that I HATE bristleworms. I've seen traps for bristleworms - does anyone have any experience with them? Do they work?

Thanks,
Diane

I tried the bristelworm trap a while ago and all I caught were tons of pods and tons of the little serpent stars.

I agree with Rich if it isn't doing damage, leave it alone.

 

[fanaglethebagle]

However you dont want this:

http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

 

[Triax]

Jocko that is what I had in the tank.

Little different color but the same type of worm.

I just don't like the looks of the little sucker either normal bristle worms or that cool one in the pick. I am finding that they like to live in shells and that I can usually get one or two by take out the shell they are hiding in. I have a few bigger ones in my tank and am going to get a pair of long tweezers and pick them out as I see them.