bugs

[scubacane]

Yesterday morning when I turnes on my light to start the day I noted tens of small white 1 mm "bugs" on the back of my tank, seeming to congregate where I have some stubborn algae growth. After awhile they disappeared but this am they were there again. Tank is about two months old, 14 gallon biocube w/ good live rock, 1.024 sg, pH8.2, 0 ammonia,0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, 77 degrees, 13 hermits, 2 arrows , 1 clown, 1 BTA(I know I need more light) . Are these copepods , do I need to do anything, Thanks

 

[Rcpilot]

"small white bugs" is not a very good description. It could be pods. Could be a tank killing parasite.

 

[Bifferwine]

Sound like pods to me. Check out Melev's Reef - Visual Identification and see if they match any of the pictures there.

 

[scubacane]

OK- Ill try to be more descriptive-they are about a mm in length, shaped is like this: (), with multiple small legs running down the side and larger antennae at the end, appear to be feeding on algae, opaque to clear in color

 

[bobby]

Sound like pods to me. If so then they are fine and will not hurt anything. They also make a good food source for some fish.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yep, pods.

 

[scubacane]

thanks for the link - they look like isopods to me

 

[Doc]

FYI, in future posts, pics are always appreciated. It lets us identify things faster, as well as get a peek at new tanks.

-Doc

 

[Rcpilot]

Rcpilot is a tank voyeur.:glassesy:

 

[Doc]

HA

-Doc

 

[managemysite]

most likely copepods, good food for fish

 

[scubacane]

My clown picks them off the back of the tank every AM- they are fast little guys. I finally got my QT tank started a few weeks back - bought a striped damsel to test it out- also my BTA is going strong , greenish white, sticky, taking a bay scallop every 3 days- doing 10 % water changes every week

 

[reeffreak]

A QT is a wise thing to have.Glad things are going well for you.

Good luck.

 

[HAWKS12thMAN]

Congrats on the new set up. BTW if you can ever catch a couple pods try boiling them..... with a little salt and pepper they are delicious!

 

[d.french]

probally isopod, i have isopods, amphipods, and some copepods, and recently discovered in my 29 gallon tons of mysis pods swimming around and night.