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Bristleworm


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  1. Bristleworm Bristleworm

    Information
    Type: Worm
    Scientific Name: Class: Polychaete
    Color: Orange
    Reef Safe: with caution
    Care Level: Easy
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Ann Arbor
    Posts
    192
    First Name
    Will
    Awards Photo of the Month
     

    Additional Information & Description

    Bristleworms range in size from 1" to up to 20". Most of the small ones are orange in color or two-toned like the above bristleworm. As the bristlworrm grows it tends to take on an iridescent color along the length of its body.

    Smaller bristleworms have been found to be a beneficial addition to a reef tank. They tend to burrow in the substrate which helps to aerate the substrate. They also are wonderful scavengers, cleaning up any leftover food or dead organisms. There is however the debate as to whether this type of bristleworm is good or bad. It has been documented that as the bristleworm grows it can become a nuisance, and will eat soft corals and can attack small bottom dwelling fish, and then consume them. Generally though, the smaller 2"-3" bristleworms add much needed biodiversity to your tank.

    Note: Picture above is not a photo taken by myself. Videos below are.

    Here are a few videos of one of the "larger" ones in my home aquarium.

    [ame="http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/Wbattle88/?action=view&current=VIDEO0020.mp4"]VIDEO0020.mp4 video by Wbattle88 - Photobucket@@AMEPARAM@@http://vid302.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/Wbattle88/VIDEO0020.mp4@@AMEPARAM@@vid302@@AMEPARAM@@302@@AM EPARAM@@nn88/Wbattle88/VIDEO0020@@AMEPARAM@@mp4[/ame]

    One getting hand fed last night lol - sorry for being bad with the camera hard to shoot the vid and feed him at the same time

    [ame="http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/Wbattle88/?action=view&current=VIDEO0021-0.mp4"]VIDEO0021-0.mp4 video by Wbattle88 - Photobucket@@AMEPARAM@@http://vid302.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/Wbattle88/VIDEO0021-0.mp4@@AMEPARAM@@vid302@@AMEPARAM@@302@@AMEPARAM@@ nn88/Wbattle88/VIDEO0021-0@@AMEPARAM@@mp4[/ame]
    Last edited by WillBattle; 03-24-2012 at 10:17 PM.



  2. #2
    CR Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    48116
    Posts
    833
    First Name
    Chris

    Default

    Wow...that's a big worm, Will. I have a few in my tank, but the largest that I've seen is about half the size of those in your video.

  3. #3
    MyNemesis - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Lansing, Michigan
    Posts
    385
    First Name
    John
    Awards Fishbowl Drawing Winner - Fishbowl Drawing #3 MCES 2012 ($25 Reef Paradise Gift Certificate)

    Default Bristle Cow

    That bad boy in the first video is a giant! Have you ever gotten stung or do you need to be super careful when you put your hands in the tank?

  4. #4
    WillBattle - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Ann Arbor
    Posts
    192
    First Name
    Will
    Awards Photo of the Month

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by creefer View Post
    Wow...that's a big worm, Will. I have a few in my tank, but the largest that I've seen is about half the size of those in your video.
    Yeah he is pretty big! My copperbanded and wrasses seem to take out the little ones but no one messes with this one! Lol

    Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    WillBattle - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Ann Arbor
    Posts
    192
    First Name
    Will
    Awards Photo of the Month

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MyNemesis View Post
    That bad boy in the first video is a giant! Have you ever gotten stung or do you need to be super careful when you put your hands in the tank?
    Yeah he's a big one, its actually the same worm. I know a lot of people really don'treally like these guys so my hand feeding this guy is probably questionable haha but I'm not really scared of him much, a few times a week he comes out quickly after the lights go out, and doesn't seem very scared of me like the other ones. But then again, he's the only getting handfed whole krill

    Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    MizTanks - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    U.P. of Michigan.
    Posts
    8,444
    First Name
    Jamie
    Awards Photo of the Month - October 2012 Photo of the Month Post and Reply Award - Winner of the first PAR Contest. Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default

    That is just to dang creepy! Yet cool too! Lol Nice video Will
    There's nothing like being a Reefer! www.upmmas.com

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WillBattle View Post
    Bristleworms range in size from 1" to up to 20". Most of the small ones are orange in color or two-toned like the above bristleworm. As the bristlworrm grows it tends to take on an iridescent color along the length of its body.

    Smaller bristleworms have been found to be a beneficial addition to a reef tank. They tend to burrow in the substrate which helps to aerate the substrate. They also are wonderful scavengers, cleaning up any leftover food or dead organisms. There is however the debate as to whether this type of bristleworm is good or bad. It has been documented that as the bristleworm grows it can become a nuisance, and will eat soft corals and can attack small bottom dwelling fish, and then consume them. Generally though, the smaller 2"-3" bristleworms add much needed biodiversity to your tank.

    Note: Picture above is not a photo taken by myself. Videos below are.

    Here are a few videos of one of the "larger" ones in my home aquarium.

    [ame="http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/Wbattle88/?action=view&current=VIDEO0020.mp4"]VIDEO0020.mp4 video by Wbattle88 - Photobucket@@AMEPARAM@@http://vid302...8/VIDEO0020.mp4@@AMEPARAM@@vid302@@AMEPARAM@@302@@AMEPARAM@@nn88/Wbattle88/VIDEO0020@@AMEPARAM@@mp4[/ame]

    One getting hand fed last night lol - sorry for being bad with the camera hard to shoot the vid and feed him at the same time

    [ame="http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/Wbattle88/?action=view&current=VIDEO0021-0.mp4"]VIDEO0021-0.mp4 video by Wbattle88 - Photobucket@@AMEPARAM@@http://vid302...VIDEO0021-0.mp4@@AMEPARAM@@vid302@@AMEPARAM@@302@@AMEPARAM@@nn88/Wbattle88/VIDEO0021-0@@AMEPARAM@@mp4[/ame]
    I find the aquarium worms very exotic. There are fish species that are considered exotic, but they are still fish. You'll not have often the opportunity to see worms in a fish tank. They are mainly bought by the one that have a lot of aquarium experience. Worms could destroy the fauna of your aquarium or might be beneficial for the aquarium, depending on what you buy and you take care of them. Most of them are predators (which is bad for the aquarium) while others feed on bacteria and help even clean the aquarium, so knowing what you buy is very important. A review about them is on https://arcreef.com/bristle-worms/bristle-worms-fireworms/, for the unordinary aquarium owners.

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