ok would like a few opinions on 6 line warsse or dotty back for bristle worm control. which one is better for reef tank ? advise and storys welcome.
The bristle worms are just doing their job as the good members of the clean up crew that they are. If you have an overabundance of them you should look at cutting back feeding, fish stock or cleaning the waste out of the tank or all of the above.
Second that. Bristle worms 99.9% of the time are good in the tank and usually are only present in large numbers when there has been over feeding. I’ve also heard bristle worm dung is good eating for some SPS. Only negative I have heard is that they can sometimes hurt dwarf seahorses which shouldn’t be kept in reef tanks 99.99999999% of the time.
6 lines are one of the best worm eaters though, all of the whole salers and retailers say to keep them in systems to deplete bad flat worm numbers.
Aren’t Arrow Crabs the quintesential worm eaters?
[quote=“kaptken, post:4, topic:738”]
Aren’t Arrow Crabs the quintesential worm eaters?[/quote]
Yep, so are coral banded shrimp. I have seen both mow down on them, although both can attack and kill small (and sometimes not so small) fish if they feel like it.
Careful lumping groups of animals together. I’ve heard problems with Stenopus hispidus, but scutellatus(yellow or golden) and tenuirostris(blue or purple) are very small and probably only able to kill fry. Their are many species of coral banded shrimps seen in the hobby, some more often then others. It’s a shame that the one with the worst reputation is seen most often.
True, I forgot to clarify that. On the other hand, if the shrimp(s) are happy, they can go for years without harming anyone. Doesnt mean that they wont take a swipe at a passerby, but they wont actually try to kill them. I have been thinking of getting a mated pair of CBS for my 90, but I just dont want to lose any fish to them. I cant keep any other shrimp because someone in the tank likes to eat them, but I figured the CBS could stand up for themselves.