The Different Worms in Salt Water Fish Tanks

Finding worms in your salt water tank can be quite alarming, but while they may not be the prettiest things in your tank, most worms don̵7;t pose a threat to your fish or the other critters in your tank. In fact, some of these worms are quite helpful and can keep your tank clean.

  1. Giant Feather Duster Worm

    • The giant feather duster worm, or Eudistylia polymorpha, is about 25cm long and 1.3cm wide, and is shaped like a feather duster. The body of the worm is a basic translucent tube, but has an orange or brown plume on the end that can reach around 6.5cm wide. This worm may also be referred to as the hard tube coco worm, the hard tube feather duster, the protula tubeworm or the hard tubeworm. The giant feather duster worm is native to the Pacific coast, but many aquarium owners add these unique creatures to their tank due to their unique shape. Giant feather duster worms feed on the plankton and small particles that come in with the tide, so in an enclosed tank they must be fed.

    Spaghetti Worm

    • The spaghetti worm, or Eupolymnia crasscornis, has a creamy white body with long tentacles on the end. This worm gets its name because when under water, the tentacles resemble floating spaghetti noodles. Spaghetti worms are found in virtually all waters, but thrive in tropical seas. Spaghetti worms live in gravel and limestone and may end up in your tank when you add new bedding, or you may even choose to add them on purpose. These little creatures sift and clean the sand in your tank while feeding off what little bits of waste and food they can find.

    Bristle Worm

    • The name bristle worm is a general title assigned to members of the Polychaete class of marine worms. Bristle worms can range from 2.5cm to 63.5cm in length. These orange or brown segmented worms are nocturnal and live in the sand and rocks of the ocean or your tank. While small bristle worms do not pose a threat to your aquarium, the larger varieties have sharp teeth that can puncture your skin and may attack shellfish, coral, anemones and even the fish in your tank. But this is only in rare cases. Many aquarium owners consider bristle worms a lively part of the aquarium community.