BRISTLE WORM

Question
You answered to someone previously that their centipede was a bristle worm, and I have at least 20 in my gravel on the bottom of my tank, but they are only about 1/2 long. Is that bad? How do you get rid of them when they are so tiny and without hurting my fish? And I think I have baby shrimp in my gravel, is that a possibility?

Answer
Go to about.com, click on hobbies and games, nest page click on saltwater aquariums and you will find many answers for bristle worm infestation. Having some are okay because they eat waste but your tank can become overrun. The site you will go to has suggestions on how to easily get rid of the majority of them. The little shrimplike thing you saw was a copepod. Harmless and a great food source for a mandarin fish which I highly recommend. Beautiful and relatively inexpensive. Gerry.