Friend of Foe

SkunkerX

SkunkerX

Well-known member
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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 :)
 
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