Should I be worried about all these copepods?

[Cheebs]

Hello,

My 75 gallon tank is a few weeks old and is hosueing a clownfish, cleaner shrimp, zoas and soft corals so far, as well as some cleanup crew. Everything seems to be going very well, but lately I noticed a kind of slight "cloudiness" to the water, with some white specks floating around. Today when I got home I saw some of the specks stuck to the glass, moving around. Upon further inspection I identified them as Copepods.

Is it normal that I have tons of them in my tank right now? It doesn't seem to be bothering anything else in the tank, but they do show up as little white specks in my pictures and I'm just wondering if their population will eventually calm down, or if there is somehting else I should be doing. All paarameters seems to be doing great, although I haven't tested alkalinity.

Thanks,

Cheebs.

 

[Mel-E-Mel]

You should be ok. Copepods are a natural food for fish and they wont do any harm. you can keep the population in check by adding a mandarin or green goby but if you dont have a refugium where they can re populate the gobies will eventually wipe them out. BTW, there are pods that can do harm but i cant remember the name of them. Im sure someone will chime in on that tho.

 

[Mel-E-Mel]

Sorry, didnt realize your tanks only a few weeks old. I'd hold off on the gobies for a couple months.

 

[Cheebs]

Thanks. Could there be an excess because of too many nutrients in the water? OR is this a natural occurence in most tanks?

Cheebs

 

[edwing206]

Large amphipods are bad. Or isopods. I think.

 

[LockeOak]

Copepods are not a problem, don't worry about it. I wish I had more myself. Their populations regulate themselves, I wouldn't add a fish to control them. Many fish (such as clowns) will make a snack of them, as can corals, so consider them supplemental food (except for the fish that require them). Amphipods are also great to have, the only thing that can be problematic are parasitic isopods, which are generally rare and if you get them they'll likely come in on fish. A fishless tank can't support them.

 

[Radioheadx14]

I have them on my glass too... I had them pretty thick for about 3 weeks, then i added my 2 clowns(first fish) and they seem to be thinned out... and i came to a conclusion that they are the reason my clowns don't appear to have a large appetite. I think they are filling up on these little creatures. All day they peck around the glass.

I also have some bigger ones, around 2mm that i see squirm in and our of my protopalys. I wonder if they will ever become food and quit stealing the corals food?

 

[Sk8r]

They eat algae. This is a good thing. What you're experiencing is called a 'bloom' in a natural system: temporary conditions favor a large population. It will die back and you'll wish you had more of them.

 

[Cheebs]

Thanks for the help guys.. Glad to hear this isn't a bad thing.

 

[kidchill]

Yah, it's a very good thing. It means you have to buy less to add to the system!!! Once your tank is more established, throw in a mandarin. They're awesome fish (IMO) and they love the little buggers!!!

 

[Trigeek]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10996603#post10996603 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
They eat algae. This is a good thing. What you're experiencing is called a 'bloom' in a natural system: temporary conditions favor a large population. It will die back and you'll wish you had more of them.

Exactly what is happening. You'll see the populations up for a while, then they will level off. They decrease as the algae decreases (their food source) which decreases as the nutrient levels dercease (THEIR food source) which decreases as the bacteria population levels off and things are "stable" (for the time, anyway).

 

[Roy G. Biv]

Put them in a bottle and sell them on ebay. Plenty of people buy them to start off a fuge.

 

[Sepeku]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10996175#post10996175 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by edwing206
Large amphipods are bad. Or isopods. I think.

Amphipods are good... so long as they aren't bigger than the fish in the tank (hehe... "Godzilla-Pod"). Otherwise they are a benificial detrivore.

Isopods are almost universally bad.

Either way, "Live and let live" and try not to bother what likely isn't bothering the tank and the inhabitants.