Duncan parasite?

[Sophie reef dog]

OK, I know without pictures this is a long shot at best but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. I have a Duncan frag with 6 heads that is usually huge but for the past week or so the heads have been staying almost completely closed. It has done this before and I know this is not unusual for Duncans so I haven't been particularly concerned about it, especially since everything else in the tank looks happy. But this evening when I was puttering around with the tank I accidentally knocked the Duncan out of its spot it the rock and I got a very brief glimpse of two or three very, very tiny dark grey critters of some sort that were apparently living in the bottom of the niche in the rock before they disappeared. When I say tiny, I would say at most each one was perhaps the size of a comma. I could not see any damage on the stalk or the heads of the Duncan, but I dipped it just to be safe. Nothing new has been added to the tank in a while (the Duncans have been there for 9+ months) and not without QT so I don't know where a new hitchhiker would have come from. Does this ring any bells as a possible parasite that could be affecting the Duncans, or is it more likely they just happened to be living in that niche in the rock?

 

[Sophie reef dog]

Anyone want to hazard a guess?

 

[Tweaked]

yep, copepods

 

[Sophie reef dog]

Ah, so no worries then! Thanks very much

 

[Sapelo]

I agree that what you saw sounds like a copepod but I'm wondering how your Duncan is doing since mine has recently "cycled" in the same way. It would close from time to time but in the last three days it's closed more often, more thoroughly. Just wondering...

 

[Sophie reef dog]

It's heads are opening about halfway right now. They all still exhibit a feeding response (I target feed all of my corals 3 times a week), so I am still thinking it is in a "resting cycle" - not an official term, just something I made up . When it has done this before, it has taken it a couple of weeks or so to fully open again so that's still what I'm thinking is going on but I am quite new to this compared to most folks on here!