are bristleworms DEFINITELY detrivores????

I just took a look at my suncoral with a flashlight, to see how it was doing and there was a huge bristleworm ... extending from like 4 inches away and defintely eating something ... maybe leftover food, maybe dead tissue .... but maybe picking at my suncoral.

Something has been picking at it ... I was blaming asterinas, since I've seen them devastate zoanthids, an acro, and gsp ... just figured it was them ... but this bristleworm has made me wonder

so all in all ...

Are bristleworms truly a detrivore, or will they prey on live flesh too if given the opportunity.

--Tyler

 

I've always been under the impression that they were but honestly...I dunno. I'm going to be following this thread tho

 

I've heard mixed things about the Bristle Worm Alliance. Some say that they NEVER drop the hammer on a single one from their tank. Others say they choke-slam the big ones. You rest assured that if you see one, he's got a tag team of brethren.

Whatever conclusion we end up with, you can always employ a Pantyhose Sucker Punch if you want to get them out.
Pantyhose + shrimp/prawn + rock + time = hose full of bristles.

They don't stand a chance against the Warrior Nation BROTHER!!!!

 

Yeah I've got some huge ones ... thick like a sharpie marker lol

you'd figure they could take a fish down, definitely swallow zoanthids whole lol

anyone ever witness a bristleworm kill something.

Mark Levenson says that people always blame them for everything ... because we always see them eating it after its already dead.

 

I have never had a problem with them and i have never activitly tried to remove them. BUT this is interested, bc theres always teh exception to the rule.....Totally different but my brother and his wife where told that my brother was steril from birth and his wife could not have kids....hmm weird bc they just had twins.....like i said....theres always the exception to the rule

 

Wow.. this was amusing!

Funny two days ago I saw a 6" worm coming out of the sand. Was over 1/4 thick. I call it the monster. I was a little disturbed when I saw him.. Had the tank up a little over a year, and I'v enever once seen this thing!

 

Bristleworms are truely detrivores. They will never eat something unless it is dead. Truely an excellent addition to anyones cleanup crew - just dont touch them.

Fireworms however aren't - they are known to munch on corals and unfortunately look very similar to bristleworms often given them the bad rep.

Fireworm:

http://marinebio.org/MarineBio/Press/downloads/marinebio_fireworm.jpg

Bristleworm:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3COkmAiyesU/SiQSX_7yK5I/AAAAAAAADrA/ZUj-6vTi9Po/s400/BristleWorm.jpg

 

Great post! thanks for the links!

 

My brother witnessed a huge bistle worm (or some kind of work) eating a mexican turbo. He was never able to keep them and wondered why, one night he found out.

 

Definitely could have been a fireworm ... they look so much alike.

Going to have to do some more investigating.

Maybe I'll set the pantyhose trap and pick through it lol ... bristleworms can stay ... and death to all others lol