# Other Aquarium Forums > Fish Care, Nutrition and Water Management >  Water centipede??

## fotoudavid

Is there water centipede?

Found one like that, many legs, small size about 1 inch in my shrimp tank......

No camera now so no pictures, will do so ASAP.

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## eviltrain

i guess it is bristle worm which appears in shrimpong's tank and mine .

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## Shrimpong

These large sized worms are bad for tanks. They are aggressive predators and have extremely quick movement so they can catch shrimps, snails and even fishes to eat. I have caught 3 in my tank now. The longest was 12 inches.

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## eviltrain

mine is around 10 cm, i feed it with flat worm i caught in my shrimp rack.

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## fotoudavid

how you guys catch this thing???

Just saw a big one, about 3 or 4 inches, when i want to catch it, it just wriggle into the soil, pretty fast fellow....

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## eviltrain

hehe, i catch it out when i decomm my 3 feet tank. its now live in a shot glass with some subtract and some moss

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## fotoudavid

ya thats what i am thinking, must really clear the tank to catch it, no choice......
do not want my shrimps to be the food, damn worm.

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## Fuzzy

I've never seen a bristleworm in a freshwater tank before, could one of you guys take a few pictures and post please?  :Smile:

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## eviltrain

Brother Fuzzy, will try to take a clear photo tonight.

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## gummynut

Is that Mr. Bristleworm in the picture?

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## eviltrain

nope, not in it. all new soil. its in a chicken essence bottle with some old soil.

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## Shaihulud

You say it will eat flatworm, interesting....

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## eviltrain

i don't know. seem that the flat worm i put inside all gone. so i presume that the bristle worm eats them.

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## Shrimpong

> hehe, i catch it out when i decomm my 3 feet tank. its now live in a shot glass with some subtract and some moss


Me thinks you meant substrate/

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## eviltrain

yesh, me mean what you think. haha
have been looking out in the internet, seems that all believe that that there's no such thing as freshwater bristle worm.

ok found, Polychaete is the latin name. generally marine life. 
but its still not studied.

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## zonkkie

any idea how it got into your tanks? Driftwoods?

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## eviltrain

no idea.it was in the 3 feet tank which i have decomm-ed. i took over the whole tank set from another forumer.

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## fotoudavid

I saw that worm catching my small snails so I intervene but the worm really run fast and hide in the soil again

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## fotoudavid

latest conclusion, i just saw it top of the soil, so very fast i put my hand in, the worm sense the movement and disappear again, i wonder they have eyes or what, but they are sensitive, only way to catch them is by decomm the tank.

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## fotoudavid

http://www.netpets.org/fish/referenc...f/bristle.html

Okay, the pictures looks like what i saw in my tank.

the above link shows how to remove them using traps.

funny part is all was ben mention about marine type.

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## Fuzzy

Yeah I've dealt with bristleworms before, but only in my marine tank, but they are generally regarded as harmless and beneficial organisms. 

Some people really hate them though, but personally unless they get really really big, I don't mind having them in marine tanks to keep the substrate turned and to clear up leftovers.

Bobbit worms and Fire worms in marine tanks though..eeee those are not good at all.

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## eviltrain

YouTube- bristle worm
this is mine

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## Shrimpong

> latest conclusion, i just saw it top of the soil, so very fast i put my hand in, the worm sense the movement and disappear again, i wonder they have eyes or what, but they are sensitive, only way to catch them is by decomm the tank.


If you see it again, use a net and scoop a large chunk of soil below where it would try to sneak.

Caught 4 so far. Fed it to my discus and they loved it!!

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## eviltrain

haha that is how i catch fidder crab when i was younger. but using a stick not a net. dig just before the fiddle crab escape into the hole.

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## fotoudavid

still in my tank:







My snails, a lot was birth. What is their name??

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## eviltrain

i caught another 2 in the soil which was in my 3 feet tank. 
the snails you have is ramhorn snails.

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## fotoudavid

what a escape from my net, think i injured the fellow, i believe there are 3 in my tank.

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## Fuzzy

Wow those definitely look like bristle worms!

I never realized there were freshwater ones.

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## dankoo

I had a few in my shrimp tank before...my daughter managed to caught them. Showed me one day with one that is ard 12cm long...

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## Cristiano

Is it a damerfly?
I found about 20 in my tank.
One grew up and flew out of my tank.

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## ChiLLs

wow! didn't know they exist in fw till now.

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## a9316

:Surprised: 
People, any ways to prevent them? I'm starting the shrimp hobby recently. Please advise and thanks.

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## Fuzzy

Easiest way to prevent bristleworms, dragonfly and damsel fly nymphs is:

- Don't reuse old substrate.
- Sterilize bogwood, driftwood and rocks with hot water.
- Treat all plants with a mild bleach dip or saltwater soak, then quarantine for at least 
1 - 2 weeks before introducing into your tank.

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## chilla18

Bro the tank I collected from you yesterday look what I found and my son is so happy to see this and he wants to keep it as pet :Grin: . 

Anyway would like to thank you for the great stuffs you pass to me. :Well done: 










> what a escape from my net, think i injured the fellow, i believe there are 3 in my tank.

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## fotoudavid

Chilla, the tank full of fishes, yet this worm survives...... if want to keep as pet, then ensure no snails and shrimps in the tank, it will eat it.....

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## chilla18

The night I brought the tank home, I wash the gravel and tank found nothing but yesterday night I rinse the tank again and this bugger drop out from the tank out of no were even thou the tank does not have water, after I rinse the tank on the 1 night. Can this thing survive without water? 

Latest update my wife is against keeping it so has to clear it. :Exasperated: 





> Chilla, the tank full of fishes, yet this worm survives...... if want to keep as pet, then ensure no snails and shrimps in the tank, it will eat it.....

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## eviltrain

pass to me please, i need it to accompany the one in my office pico tank.

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## chilla18

Sorry bro my wife fast hand fast leg she throw it away liao.




> pass to me please, i need it to accompany the one in my office pico tank.

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## jssl

I really wonder how these worms get into our tanks?

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## a_scape

Talking about centipide :

1. please be careful to take this out from tank using proper tool instead of bare-hand, some species come with poison fang

2. make sure each time you put new bog-wood, it's already cleaned and sterilized (specially from snails egg)

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## jssl

> Talking about centipide :
> 
> 1. please be careful to take this out from tank using proper tool instead of bare-hand, some species come with poison fang
> 
> 2. make sure each time you put new bog-wood, it's already cleaned and sterilized (specially from snails egg)


So they originated from bogwood & driftwood?

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## a_scape

> So they originated from bogwood & driftwood?


Most of the cases ... yes , they hide in the darkness inside of the small hole inside bog-wood or driftwood .

But also possible come along hiding inside bunch of bushy plants such Bolbitis etc etc 

My point is, we have to check, clean up properly all things before inserting to the tank... rather than chasing the un-wanted comers  :Grin:

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