Bristle worms are present in every marine water aquarium. They mostly stay out of sight, however, and often only surface at night-time or at feeding time. Wormholes in the corals or sea anemones may be a sign of an infestation of bristle worms. Preferably before any such signs appear, it is advisable to take a torch and look in the aquarium at night. Any of these pests which are discovered should, if possible, be taken out of the aquarium before greater harm can be done. Taking a pair of tweezers and attempting to catch the creatures individually is often unsuccessful because the bristle worms are frequently severed in the process and each part can develop into a new bristle worm. Attempting to catch bristle worms by hand is never advisable as the little “bristles” can cause inflammations of the skin, with the resulting irritation lasting for days. The simplest and surest way of catching bristle worms is to use a trap. The Worm X bristle worm trap is a reliable aid, allowing the bristle worms to be caught and then simply removed from the aquarium.
Instructions for the use of the Worm X bristle worm trap:
- Open one side of the bristle worm trap.
- Place some food (krill, mysis, Dupla Eeze or a little shellfish) in the central part of the bristle worm trap and close the trap again.
- Place the Worm X bristle worm trap in a location where bristle worms have already been seen.
- Bristle worms are nocturnal creatures. The Worm X bristle worm trap should therefore be set in the evening and removed in the morning.
- Avoid touching bristle worms as their bristles can cause painful injuries.