I think I have a parasite infestation

[tboyd]

I am in the process of starting my tank and only have live rock in tank to put tank through its cycle prior to adding fish. Tank is only days away from end of the cycle. I have family up and my brother went prawning and decided to add a prawn to my tank, which died over night and I removed immediately the next morning after spitting the dummy!

The problem I have is now my tank is full of very small white things that look a lot like sea lice to me and there is also - looks like a very small white balls with lots of legs stuck to glass.

If my tank is not full of sea lice from the prawn how do I get ride of them, preferable with not killing off my live rock. Or will they die off themselves without re populating as part of their cycle.

I really need some advise as to what I should do - hope I do not have to completely start again. If anyone has any ideas what may have been on the prawn and how to remove it please help.

Thank you
Tania

 

[bullitt21]

i would say they are pods.nothing to worry about.they are a good thing to have.iam a newby to so some of the experts will be on here soon.and welcome to the site.

 

[messiah023]

From Xtalreef :

"Copepods, sometimes incorrectly called cocopods (I'm coo-coo for cocopods!) or copods, are often the first hitchhiker noticed in the aquarium. "What are these little white fleas on my glass?" or "I have ANTS" are commonly heard. They are a great supplemental fish food. Here's a great article about them."

 

[yote]

Bullitt and Messiah are right.There *pods*.Good for the tank,and home grown fish food.
They didnt come from the prawn,they come with the live rock.
BTW Welcome to the site.

 

[Bifferwine]

Could you post some pictures of the critters so we can be sure?

 

[tboyd]

They are too small to take photo of, I have tried, camera will not focus on them. I have checkout pics of copepods, etc and I believe that is what they are. I found that my lovely brother had not just put 1 prawn in my tank, but in fact he had put a total of 4 in my tank. I was poking around while doing a routine water change and well one jumped up out of the sand, then another and another. Don't you love family! Thank you all for you advise it has been greatly appreciated.

 

[d.french]

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/pods.html

 

[messiah023]

Tboyd,

Just a bit of information, you probably already realize, you don't want to put ANYTHING from the ocean (including sand & water) into your closed aquarium system.
There is too much pollution in the water to be contained in a small closed aquarium system.

Good Luck.