Tiny white bugs, Cyclopoida copepod????

MeVsTheWorld

MeVsTheWorld

Salt Creep
Over the past week I have noticed them on the glass when the lights come on. Now it has progressed to the point of thousands. There are 3 distinct critters. #1 being like a tiny star fish around 1/64", mostly stationary. 2 looks like Cyclopoida copepod, crawling all over the glass. #3 looks as though it has 2 body parts and a little bit bigger than #2, also crawling around. It seems as though the water is a tad cloudy. I realize copepods are a good thing, but this is starting to make we nervous. I mean their population is skyrocketing, and I just hope I don't have to medicate, as I have no QT tank to move my corals/inverts to. Anyone have this problem before, or is it something that will go away?
 
5-6 weeks. 2 damsels, they pick and eat them but not on a steady basis. I got a pm from a friend and he said "you have little to nothing to worry about and its a good thing. Once you put in a fish that feeds on them they will be gone from the glass and their numbers will dwindle considerably". What fish would you recommend?
 
mev, I would not put a dragonet goby in a tank that young. Even with this population. If you see it maintained after you're stocked your tank. Then you are ready for one.

I had the same thing going in my tank after a few weeks. I would clean the glass and kill hundreds of them, only to see them return in a few days. As soon as I put my blue-green chromies in there, the bugs were gone in a few days. You still see them on the rocks, and a few at night, but it's nothing like in the beginning.

It is a good thing! You have a lot of life.
 
Thanks for your help. I was thinking the same about the dragonet. I'm only going to keep 4-5 fish anyway. I've been looking for some fish, but havn't decided on what to get. I want them colorful, reef safe, and on the smaller size maybe 3-4". Thanks again!!
 
when the tank is ready, a green mandarin would make a great fish for it. one of my favorites but for now scooter blenny would be fine. i have two scooters and a green mandarin in my 75g and they are all fat and happy. my scooters also eats brime and misis shrimp. excuse the poor spelling
 
I had one...he disappeared....what is their main staple of food? I'm thinking of getting another....they are cheap at A T....
 
yeah, scooters are dragonets. they are very common and cheap. the only hard one to find is the red variation. i've only seen it once in lfs and picked him up. the only dragonet i'm missing now is the spotted mandarin. scooters eats the same food as mandarins but may be a little more easy to wean to frozen. most pet stores feed brime and they do fine. no expert just my experiance
 
put a blenny in your tank , and a green spot goby they will find them and eat most all of them ,,,,,
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much. It is completely normal to have an explosion of copepods in a new tank as the nutrients are typically higher. However, in short time, the population will peak and then crash to a sustainable level as the tank matures and available nutrients are diminished.
 
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