Bristle Worms

For the most part, they are very good.  The normal sized ones, as far as I know, are scavengers and not predators.  There are a few types of extra large ones that are coral predators but they are rare.  If you'd like to see a huge coral eating worm, check out this link- http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

Bristleworms will consume any animal that is dead or almost dead and partly rotting- fish, crabs, clams, maybe corals.  This is good so the dead animal doesn't pollute the water.  They have good "noses" and can smell food.  The bristleworms in my tank become excited by the food smell after I feed the fish but they're too afarid of the light to venture out during the day.  My clownfish occasionally try to eat one, but they always spit out the worm and look disgusted afterwards.

My first coral (a few years ago) was a favia brain.  I fed it every night when it's feeding tentacles came out and I thought it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.  At about the same time, I discovered reefcentral and since most of the reef-related names were taken, I thought faviasteve was appropriate.  So I don't get confused, I've kept that original name on all the message boards.  The favia brain was sold 2 years ago when I moved and took down my tank.  I'm more SPSsteve now but I still love brain corals.  They are fun to feed.  I have a green platygyra brain now.

I can definitely get you a brain coral.  Email me at [email protected].  I know a guy who can order stuff .

BW's are our friends.
They are detritivores.
They are part of the cleanup crew.
The reason they become a so-called plague is because the tank is getting too much prepared food without housing the right kind of animals to eat the extra.
I've seen hundreds of home reef aquariums and can't remember once seeing a "coral eating BW" I've heard they exist, but they are probably one or two worms out of the family of 3000+ annelid worms.

The only problem I have with BW's is when I pick up a rock and squeeze a big one that was underneath so that it leaves its bristles in my finger. It irritates for a few hours.

If anyone wants to get rid of thier worms i am your huckleberry. I love them and will take em all, nothing goes to waist in my tank.

Seth

When I got my rock from the weimers it had tons of them inside.  I'm talking about one coming out of almost every hole, all tiny though.  I think they all came out because of the dead things from the transfer to my tank...

anyways, one day I was watching at night before I went to sleep (you know, when you zone out and just sit and stare) and this huge one comes crawling out.  It went from one hole in the rock into another.  Overall I measured it out to be about 6 inches in my head as it slithered along.  Now heres the crazy thing, I have only seen it one other time, yet its gotta still be in my rock.  Faviasteve saw it once I think when he was tending my rock before I had my stuff setup.  I wonder if he just lives in my rock and never comes out, maybe eats the little worms

I have heard arrow crabs like to eat BWs.  Anyone that can verify that?

John Grandjean

30 g sw 20 g sump

10 g nano sw

Arrow Crabs........  Cool!