What is this thing?

I'm confused. They move the sand better, but I should get rid of it? There are two that I know of so far. Are they going to harm anything in the tank? Are there any other good/bad points about them?

 

For the most part, they are harmless. However, there are a few species that eat corals, and some people believe that the bristles may cause wounds on certain fish or sea horses. They are generally viewed as beneficial detrivores.

Some of them can be very painful. While a few only feel like being pricked by a needle, others sting almost like fire coral, and can cause swelling and aching in addition to the initial burning sensation. The bristles are almost like glass, and are difficult to remove without breaking them or crushing them, leaving part of the bristle in your skin. Some people recommend soaking your hand in vinegar if you find a finger full of bristles, though I've never tried this. I've been stung by a lot of different species, and never had any long-term effects from it, but it's not a very pleasant experience.

Cheers,



Don

 

I suppose you could check some other sources like wetwebmedia, for example. To my experience, they didn't do any harm to anything except my finger. The one that got me hurt so bad, my finger was very swollen and red and tender for almost a week. Apparently the severity of their sting varies from individual to individual. If I were running a DSB, where it's important that the oxygen-free depths remain such, I'd not want one. I'm not though, so I don't think I'd mind one.

Maybe some more folks will respond to this thread so you can get a greater variety of responses.

If it were me, I'd let him be, unless he gave me good reason to consider otherwise.