Sand lice

[Veilside0Three]

So I have an infestation of what I am hoping are copepods, or some sort of pods. About a month ago, i dropped in a bottle of tigger pods, in hope to create enough to start a colony.

They dissappeared from my in tank refugium(cpr one with holes in the side), and I thought it was a failed attempt. The other day i was staring at the tank, resting my chin on the stand(it was a long day... lol), and i noticed a few white bug looking things jumping in and out of the sand, and on the lower glass. On closer inspection, every square inch of my sand is crawling with these things.

I really hope these are good for the tank. I have also been adding a daily dose of phyto-feast to the tank, in hopes that they feed on it.

 

[daugherty]

Sounds like pods to me and after 45 days of adding them they will have lais eggs that are hatching now so i am not suprised that ypou are see a ton of them.

 

[Veilside0Three]

Sounds like pods to me and after 45 days of adding them they will have lais eggs that are hatching now so i am not suprised that ypou are see a ton of them.

Great! Right? I have a scooter blenny in a smaller QT right now until mid january, he'll be happy to see new the addition when he comes back! I also want to add a mandarin later on down the road, so the more pods the better. Is there any way to help them multiply faster? or help them thrive?

When i watch them, they move exactly how i've read that copepods do, they swim and move fast, and occasionally they jet really fast for about a half inch.

 

[charlesr1958]

Could be amphipods as well. Regardless, the dosing of phytoplankton is something that should be "mandatory" for all reef aquariums for the simple reason that it is the basis of almost all oceanic food chains/loops. Such populations of any "pods" is a very good sign.

Zooplankton

Chuck