So is this a eupolote? and other small food questions

[kizanne]

I have several threads where I am trying to breed many fish that won't take rotifers or brine as their first food. I and some friends (here) have been trying to work with smaller 'food'. I unfortunately haven't had a very easy time identifying these things. So instead of putting this in all my threads I thought I'd just start a new thread that everyone can join in the fun. Don't feel you have to be any kind of expert just don't guess mysid and you'll be ok.

To help people talk about these pictures we'll go by figures. The top and bottom of this one has hairs that move around.

Figure one is a small item I've found in one of my detris patches and in the mixed water of one of my spotted mandarin quarantine bowl. I think it might be an euplote. If it is euplote I have rotifers I think are the same size or smaller.

Figure 1

Perhaps a better picture
Figure 1a

 

[kizanne]

This one is in my refugium. I think I hit the jackpot there. There is so much life moving around that is very small. I think I'm going to siphon some into a small container for this batch of babies. But what is the big thing? a nematode? I circled a small item every single little dot is motile and moves quickly. I assume a phytoplankton of some kind except my water down there doesn't have any green tint.

Figure 2

 

[gogo7]

great pics kiz. i think it might be a species of euplotes. i'm not an expert.
one question. does it have a 'shell'. the species i've got looks like and moves like the cockroach from the movie 'wallee'. definitely a 'bug' type quality to them.

here's a few pics.

the profile in this pic shows the similarity to the wallee cockroach

i'm interested if you can culture it. but i really think it is some species of euplotes.

 

[kizanne]

OK I do believe Figure 1 is probably an Euplote I have those in various sizes.

Need some input on Figure 2, I don't even know where to start with it.

and Now I'm adding Figure 3 which will require several pictures.
Here are you clues. I'm smaller than a rotifer by far, I stick right next to the dead rotifer so I don't think I am a algae. I seem to stretch some so I don't think I have a shell, don't think I"m a rot. What am I? Part of me says baby rot but I don't think it is. I should add I'm only mostly sure that is a dead rotifer.

Figure 3

Figure 3a

Figure 3b

 

[kizanne]

Figure 4 I think might be cerith snails pelagic stage. They seem to have a shell. They are larger than my euplotes. They have cillia (maybe) at the opening to the spiral. I think the small moving thing on the left was tetra for size comparison.

Figure 4

 

[kizanne]

What is the thing on the bottom right? top left is a euplote I believe.

Figure 5

 

[kizanne]

Next up worries me. So it might attack the babies. Not sure where it came from. It might have been an intestinal parasite of the spotted mandarin that was in there before. Ok figure 6 is not a nematode or mononchus. I have that on a fairly good authority.

Figure 6

 

[gogo7]

yep euplotes. as for the snails.... not so sure.
that bundle of worms is common in my detritus. i wouldn't worry about them.

i've got these strange amoebas as well

that lower thing below the euplotes could be a euglenid. not sure though

 

[setsail4mexico]

Very interesting thread and awesome pics! Now I want to break out the microscope and see what I can find from my tank!!!

 

[kizanne]

Ok so I wanted to add this new one. I found this little guy in my tank. I am pretty sure it is a copepod. I think it is probably a calanoid or cyclopoid.

 

[kizanne]

ok changed to harpactoid and think it eats corraline algae