Hi, Im trying to restart my tank aiming for a bristle worm free tank (I know bristle worms are good CUC but I just have mental problem with them so my tank cant have them and please dont attach any worm related images or ill freak out thanks). I know as a fact there are tons of them in my tank and I would appreciate if anyone could help me with stats of bristle worm and figure out which and how the following livestocks can be treated and how much chance they would still carry bristle worm of any life stage.
My understanding of bristle worm is they have 3 life stages: egg, larvae, and worm. Egg appearance and sizes are similar to snail eggs so they are visible to bare eyes which take a few days to hatch into larvae? Larvae size is in hundreds of micrometer so they are not visible and can last a few month? How can we kill larvae? Would they attach to any livestocks? then we have the worm.
Im considering bringing the following to the new tank:
1. Fish and pistol shrimp: I would love to assume theres little chance that they will carry any bristle worm/egg/larvae
2. Clam: its a small maxima calm ~7cm. Its scutes can hide worms of all stages i guess? Is there any way to treat it? I know clam may suvive freshwater dip so will eggs IIUC, but would larvae also suvive freshwater? Is it okay to wash the shell with coral dip without soaking the clam in the dip? How much odds i can brush all worms off the clam?
3. Black sea cucumber: i have dipped this cuke in freshwater before so im confident it can survive another one, but im not sure if worm eggs/larvae can survive in its belly and got into the new tank from its poop
4. Snails: I think new borns without coraline algae should be safe with a fresh salt water rinse
5. GSP: i have gsp attached to the backwall and it for some reason not growing in mat but branches so i think i can just rip them off the wall and dip it with coral dip since theres no where worms could hide (I hope)
6. Toadstool leather coral: it came with a piece of rock and later turned out to be home to dozens of worms which i removed a few month ago, and attached it to a frag plate but just to be safe, I think I would cut it off the plate, dip it and reanchor it to a new plate. The coral itself shouldnt home any worm?
7. Bubble tip anemone: I think removing them from rocks and rinse with fresh salt water should be enough?
Thank you for any input
My understanding of bristle worm is they have 3 life stages: egg, larvae, and worm. Egg appearance and sizes are similar to snail eggs so they are visible to bare eyes which take a few days to hatch into larvae? Larvae size is in hundreds of micrometer so they are not visible and can last a few month? How can we kill larvae? Would they attach to any livestocks? then we have the worm.
Im considering bringing the following to the new tank:
1. Fish and pistol shrimp: I would love to assume theres little chance that they will carry any bristle worm/egg/larvae
2. Clam: its a small maxima calm ~7cm. Its scutes can hide worms of all stages i guess? Is there any way to treat it? I know clam may suvive freshwater dip so will eggs IIUC, but would larvae also suvive freshwater? Is it okay to wash the shell with coral dip without soaking the clam in the dip? How much odds i can brush all worms off the clam?
3. Black sea cucumber: i have dipped this cuke in freshwater before so im confident it can survive another one, but im not sure if worm eggs/larvae can survive in its belly and got into the new tank from its poop
4. Snails: I think new borns without coraline algae should be safe with a fresh salt water rinse
5. GSP: i have gsp attached to the backwall and it for some reason not growing in mat but branches so i think i can just rip them off the wall and dip it with coral dip since theres no where worms could hide (I hope)
6. Toadstool leather coral: it came with a piece of rock and later turned out to be home to dozens of worms which i removed a few month ago, and attached it to a frag plate but just to be safe, I think I would cut it off the plate, dip it and reanchor it to a new plate. The coral itself shouldnt home any worm?
7. Bubble tip anemone: I think removing them from rocks and rinse with fresh salt water should be enough?
Thank you for any input