"Centipedes."

[Chibils]

Just now when I was examining my lr, I noticed an odd translucent thing no more than 1-2mm long scooting around. As I sat and watched, the rock was crawling with them. They're transparent except for some whitish parts around the "head" and seem to jet themselves around (quick spurt, a few seconds still, then another spurt). Is this some form of pod? Parasite? etc.?

Edit: As the title implies, they're long and skinny like centipedes or millipedes. More specifically like mealworms, with an almost sausage-shaped body. They're all over every piece of rock.

Edit #2: It was hard to tell, but they're all over the sand, too.

From what google images shows when I search "copepod," they look similar. But the body doesn't taper as much, nor are the "antennae" visible (they may be too small and I'm missing them?).

 

[happyhourhero]

Bristle Worms. Mostly harmless detrivores that are beneficial to your tank. I have a couple 5+ inchers in mine and have had no problems. If you mess around in your tank with bare hands, you may have some irritation from their broken bristles.

 

[Chibils]

They looked more like copepods or amphipods than polychaetes. Their bodies were rather stubby considering their width and they had no visible hairs/bristles. It's possible, though.

Edit: I only have two fish in my 90G tank with two big brittle stars. Is there enough detrius in the tank to sustain the hundreds of visible (and I imagine thousands of other) bristleworms if this is the case?

 

[woodycb]

pods

 

[happyhourhero]

They could be Amphipods. From your second post, I think they are probably a type of amphipod. And yes I think they will be sustained just fine with their own mini food chain. They eat leftover food, algae, whatever they can find.

 

[Chibils]

There's plenty of leftover food and algae, but not so much detrius (since I feed freeze-dried cyclop-eeze to two fish and that's it, lots of food and only a little detrius).

Thanks for the help. I'd get a pic but they're too small and translucent.