Bugs?

[white_Rubicon]

So I can't get a picture, because they move to fast... when I shine a flashlight into my tank and look through the holes of one my live rock I can see something small scittering around like a bug. Moves really fast and is maybe half the size of a lady bug. Any ideas what it might be?


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[skiingfast]

Pods: copepods and amphipods.

They eat detritus and tiny algae. They are good fish food, for species that live near the substrate and hang close to the rock.

 

[garethwood]

could also be rotifers? they are abit bigger than pods, look abit like a tiny shrimp but with all the legs on the rear end and tend to move in quick circular motions

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[mcgyvr]

yep.. common/normal pods more than likely.. welcome to a reef tank..

 

[garethwood]

if youve got pods half the size of a ladybird then ide love to no what else youve got in it! pods tend to be smaller than a grain of rice and similar shape. any pics of your setup? : )

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[garethwood]

if youve got copepods half the size of a ladybird then ide love to no what else youve got in it! pods tend to be smaller than a grain of rice and similar shape. amphipods are flat but same sort of shape as a ladybird but still not that big any pics of your setup? : )

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[mcgyvr]

Pods can get that big... I've got some in my fuge that are "ladybug" size or larger..

 

[white_Rubicon]

if youve got pods half the size of a ladybird then ide love to no what else youve got in it! pods tend to be smaller than a grain of rice and similar shape. any pics of your setup? : )

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I can get some pics when I get home. It's a new tank (since October). It's a biocube 32 with 20lbs of live rock from lfs and about 10lbs of dry rock from reefcleaners.

Hitchhikers I have identified so far from the rock:
Bristle Worms. ( 1 of which is big)
2 mini brittle stars
Aipstasia (all gone after I put in two peppermint shrimp)
Ball anemones
Asterina Starfish
And green star polyps



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[mcgyvr]

Here is a good site to bookmark that has many of the "common" things found in our tanks..
http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

 

[white_Rubicon]

Thanks. Yeah I have looked there for a few things. These "pods" are just moving too fast to get a good look at.

Do pods Molt like shrimp and crabs? Every once in a while I'll see what looks like molted skin of a tiny shrimp looking thing. Not sure if it's molt or actual dead.


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[jmcdaniel0]

I would agree with the folks here. Sounds like pods. They are an excellent thing, and if you can sustain a good population of them, a mandarin would love to eat them for you...

 

[white_Rubicon]

I would agree with the folks here. Sounds like pods. They are an excellent thing, and if you can sustain a good population of them, a mandarin would love to eat them for you...

Yeah I have a big population of smaller ones that like to cling to my glass. I feel bad cleaning my glass cause I feel like I'm killing them lol.

I don't have any fish in the tank yet. Decided to wait till January ( after I come back from vacation) but got an ATO and a auto fish feeder for my shrimp and hermit crabs that are there now ( don't want the crabs to eat my snails). Trying to take it slow. Tank has been fully cycled for about a month so I figure in January when I get back I'll check my water... do a change and start getting fish.


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[Reincarnate]

This link might help.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/rs/index.php