Polychaete worms (aka Bristle Worms)

These Polychaete worms are commonly called bristle worms (because their name means "many bristles") and/or fire worms (because many of those bristles HURT if you get them in your skin). They are one of the most misunderstood and controversial hitchhikers of them all. Fact is there are thousands of species of Bristle Worms/ Fire Worms with only a few being predatory and a couple being parasitic. The predatory and parasitic worms rarely make there way into our systems. So the majority of the Bristle Worms/ Fire Worms we see are beneficial scavengers.

I have read reports that when a tank gets overpopulated with Fireworms they can become problematic. With moderate feeding and a good diverse population of other scavengers, this should not be a problem but sense they can reproduce both sexually and asexually… giving the right conditions, they could reproduce quickly.

If anyone has any pictures or additional information they would like to share on the Fireworm, please feel free to post it here.

[BoldAsBrass]

I had an over population of bristol worms, and would not like to go through that again. I take them out when found.

[BoldAsBrass]

Oh, I forgot , excellent photographs Travis ;-)

[albert]

If anyone has any pictures or additional information they would like to share on the Fireworm, please feel free to post it here.
Here we go... :lol: Six worms roaming out when feeding my fish.

http://hepatus.mine.nu/aquarium/pics/dsc02624-1.jpg


Note the stunning colors on the bottom side!

http://hepatus.mine.nu/aquarium/pics/dsc02625-1.jpg

[Doctor_Reef]

Good shots guys...

That's fokes!!

Very nice albert, is that their real color??

[albert]

is that their real color??Sure, did you think they wont go out without makeup? :thinkhard:

[Brock Fluharty]

Where did you get the feather dusters right by them, or did they just pop up. Also, what kind of feather dusters are they?

[maxwellwhothunk]

those are awesome looking bristle worms... care to ship some of those to me? lol, man I just have boring ones. red/black, about a centemeter band of each color, that continues their entire length. They then out grow their colors at some point and become a gross looking greyish brown color... those ones are the ones that I try to get rid of.

[Darth P]

Just found this guyhttp://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f103/Pimplord1000/FirewormCU001.jpghttp://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f103/Pimplord1000/FirewormCU002.jpg

[Elsherst]

I can never seem to get my camera when mine are out. especially the big one. I like your bright colored one Jon.

[Darth P]

Thank You. I had never seen one in either of my tanks, of course until yesterday when I saw one in each. The one in my 20 gal is actually larger but he hides under a rock all the time. I got luck with this one I was taking pics of everything else small and happened to see him out of the corner of my eye. Right time right place I suppose.

[admont]

Nice pics.

[KellyKM19]

I have found 5 (pretty big) bristle worms in my tank, they look exactly like the first few pictures. They are in my 12g nano. Should I remove these? I have heard so many different things and I don't want them to become "problematic". They seem to all stay in the same rock, I only ever see them when they peek out to get food.. Should I take out the rock and try to kill them or should I leave it alone? And if I should get rid of them, how do I do it?

[KellyKM19]

I forgot to add: I do have corals in the tank, with they harm the corals?

[Darth P]

So Far my worms have been very well behaved. In Fact it appears their favorite food is blenny poop

[Elsherst]

These worms are good for your tank. They eat decaying stuff, fish poop, left over food, dead or dieing coral.