Friend of Foe

[SkunkerX]

Was cleaning the tank yesterday, took out a couple of small rocks and came upon this little critter and was wondering if it a friend or foe? It's out of the tank right now so I just wanted to know if I should put it back in or flush it?

 

[EricTheRed]

They're ugly, but good to have in your tank. It's a bristle worm. They hide during the day and come out at night to eat detritus. They're a great addition to your cleanup crew. Don't touch them, the little hairs (bristles) will break off on your skin and could cause skin irritation.

 

[Smitty]

+1 Eric...they can get pretty long also...but remember, DON'T touch them.

 

[SkunkerX]

So they wont mess with any corals, inverts, fish or anemones or anything? It's about 3 to 4 inches long. Just want to be sure he wont do any harm before I throw it back into general population.

 

[Smitty]

Nope, they don't cause any harm to fish or corals, I have heard that they may irritate clams, but I have not experienced that while owning clams neither. If you see that one, please believe that there are dozens more in your tank, in and under your rocks. They're a very beneficial part of your cuc.

 

[ColaAddict]

I got a bunch of those in my tank, they are great to have. They can get into small holes and spaces between rockwork that hermit crabs/snails can't get into and eat the detritus there.

 

[Greg]

I removed all the large ones from my tank. Too many stories of them irritating clams and anemone's foot. They are pretty safe, but i didnt take any chances. In my tank the benefits didnt outweigh the risks.
+1 dont touch

 

[SkunkerX]

Cool thanks for the input guys. Much appreciated I'll just put it in the refugium.

 

[kurens]

they say if you got one you got more in tank

 

[lukky424]

i agree with eric