Wipe out the tank and start over

[rowenaad]

Hi, Im planning to start over my tank (20 gallon) from scretch hoping to have 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)

The plan is to reuse the same tank but with every thing new except some livestocks, do you guys think my fish would make the transition? I plan to run the existing tank as is while cycling new marco rocks and bio cubes in a water container. When the new rocks are cycled, i would dump all water and sand from the running tank, sanitize the tank and put the new rocks and lifestock back in. I have 2 clownfish ~1 year old, 1 pistol shrimp and goby pair, 1 small maxima clam, several bubble tip anemones, 1 leather coral, 1 sea cuke and a few snails.

Is this too heavy for a newly cycled tank? would they make thru if I reduce feeding and dose bactaria at the same time and

 

[jabberwock]

This is not going to make your tank bristle worm free. It will be a lot of work and will likely not give you the desired result.

 

[rowenaad]

This is not going to make your tank bristle worm free. It will be a lot of work and will likely not give you the desired result.

better than knowing they are everywhere and live in fear

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

Might be better to try and control them naturally with a six line or arrow crab (arguably more phobia inducing than the worm itself). They really are beneficial though so anything you can do to overcome the fear might be a better course of action. Perhaps try and eat spaghetti or noodles twice a week.

 

[rowenaad]

Might be better to try and control them naturally with a six line or arrow crab (arguably more phobia inducing than the worm itself). They really are beneficial though so anything you can do to overcome the fear might be a better course of action. Perhaps try and eat spaghetti or noodles twice a week.

thats not an option, but do you think fish would make thru the transition?

 

[bushdoc]

You seem to be committed , so my advice is to cycle dry rock in a container for few weeks and continue ghost feeding to support and expand population of nitryfying bacteria. This way your fish are more protected.

 

[dedragon]

the only way I can see this happening is by doing all dry rock, cycling with bottle bacteria, and only getting clean cut frags (zero frag plugs or rocks). It is possible but a major pain. I hate bristleworms too after getting stung a couple of times I now change my chaeto with gloves on

 

[Boreas_SA]

Another option is to dose prazi on a regular basis, should kill the worms but be ok with the rest of the livestock. But really a bit pointless and probably not good for your tank’s health to try and eliminate all bristleworms.

 

[dedragon]

leopard, coris, or sixline wrasse should all be good at getting small worms but a large one usually slips by after some time or many large ones in the sump

 

[rowenaad]

You seem to be committed , so my advice is to cycle dry rock in a container for few weeks and continue ghost feeding to support and expand population of nitryfying bacteria. This way your fish are more protected.

thanks. I will certainly do it slowly. I had a sixline wrasse. I dont know if it ever controlled the smaller one but it can do nothing to the bigger ones and i can see they on the glass under the sand i cant even get close to my tank anymore

 

[rowenaad]

the only way I can see this happening is by doing all dry rock, cycling with bottle bacteria, and only getting clean cut frags (zero frag plugs or rocks). It is possible but a major pain. I hate bristleworms too after getting stung a couple of times I now change my chaeto with gloves on

Yea marco rock and dry sand. None of the stony corals or a single frag of rock will go into the new tank

 

[rowenaad]

Another option is to dose prazi on a regular basis, should kill the worms but be ok with the rest of the livestock. But really a bit pointless and probably not good for your tank’s health to try and eliminate all bristleworms.

Ive read mix reviews and arent certain they can kill all

 

[dedragon]

i cant even get close to my tank

you must have a large phobia but you also live in australia with much scarier critters everywhere, not sure how you avoid all the scary animals there lol

 

[rowenaad]

leopard, coris, or sixline wrasse should all be good at getting small worms but a large one usually slips by after some time or many large ones in the sump

Yea i had a sixline wrasse, it cant do anything to the bigger worms they are at least the same lengthof itself

 

[rowenaad]

you must have a large phobia but you also live in australia with much scarier critters everywhere, not sure how you avoid all the scary animals there lol

thats why i stay in cbd apartment. im fine with most insects like spiders but just not worms

 

[dedragon]

Yea i had a sixline wrasse, it cant do anything to the bigger worms they are at least the same lengthof itself

I hear ya, ive been stung many times. Like getting annoying fiberglass out of your hand.

thats why i stay in cbd apartment. im fine with most insects like spiders but just not worms

lol spiders can go f themselves tbh, been landed on by too many spiders dangling onto my face

 

[rowenaad]

been landed on by too many spiders dangling onto my face

thats not fun. yea i cant imagine myself not staying in one of these skycrappers

 

[exnisstech]

Maybe some therapy to try and understand why you have such a fear of something that can not harm you. Bristle worms always find a way into my tanks. Now that I run bare bottom I only see them in the sump.

As far as moving everything, I would just get a new 20g and leave the other one running and move everything over after the new one is cycled. Hopefully baby bristle worms can't be transfered through fish poo. I have read about some pests that can.

 

[Kittypowpow]

Hi, Im planning to start over my tank (20 gallon) from scretch hoping to have 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)

The plan is to reuse the same tank but with every thing new except some livestocks, do you guys think my fish would make the transition? I plan to run the existing tank as is while cycling new marco rocks and bio cubes in a water container. When the new rocks are cycled, i would dump all water and sand from the running tank, sanitize the tank and put the new rocks and lifestock back in. I have 2 clownfish ~1 year old, 1 pistol shrimp and goby pair, 1 small maxima clam, several bubble tip anemones, 1 leather coral, 1 sea cuke and a few snails.

Is this too heavy for a newly cycled tank? would they make thru if I reduce feeding and dose bactaria at the same time and

I think that you will end up having them again due to reusing.....anything. I think you might be better off trying to control (exterminate) them in what you have existing already. if you can bare it, get something that eats bristle worms... there are tons of critters out there that will help you out. I'm scared that if you use anything from this existing tank there is a chance you'll miss one and end up with them in a "new" tank. Thus wasting time, money, and stress.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Nope, won’t work. On a long enough timeframe they will somehow make their way back in to the tank and you’ll be stuck with the same problem.
Better put your time and effort towards dealing with your phobia.