What are these floating in my tank?

[FiShScaLe]

My tank to date is 1 month 2 weeks old. When I first set it up the water was crystal clear and then about a month in there was all this stuff floating around my tank that I though was micro bubbles because thats how small it is but under further inspection it isnt microbubbles. Microbubbles pop when they hit the surface these do not,and microbubbles dont swim around by themselves when the pumps are off these do. There are larger ones, medium sized ones and very small spec ones that look like the smallest grain of sand. The larger and medium sized ones swim around and most of the smallest ones dont move and are just suspended in the water column but some move. They are everywhere in my tank making the water look cloudy but in reality the water is crystal clear, all parameters are in check and the fish/corals are very fat and happy. When I set my tank up I used dry rock and dry sand with one piece of live rock to seed it. I let it cycle with nothing in it for about a month, had a small diatom outbreak and then everything cleared up. I have 4 fish in there now so im thinking maybe my tank was not ready for the load of fish in there and now theres a bacterial bloom? I also added a ball of cheato from a very well established cheato grow out tank filled with pods to my tank about 2 weeks ago. At first I noticed them all over the glass but now they seem to be all over the place and in the water column. Could the pods be multiplying so rapidly because they are feeding off the bacterial bloom? I have no clue whats going on here but I am very unhappy due to the fact that my tank looks so cloudy.Can anyone please throw me some answers Ive never seen this before.

Here is the best pic I could get of them. I taped a small light to the side of the tank and they seem to be attracted to it thats why theres so many in that one area in the pic.

 

[FiShScaLe]

I am not trying to brag about this, I know copepods are good but this is way to many. Im thinking maybe its not copepods but Ive never had this happen so I have no clue. I turned all the powerheads and returns off and these things are all over the water cloumn. They also collect on the surface of the water. There are also a bunch of other white specs in the tank that dont seem to be copepods but they also dont break when they hit the surface I know they arent copepods. It isnt sand because I have special grade reef sand and like I said this problem just started 2 weeks ago. Does anyone know whats going on?

 

[SushiGirl]

What kind of critters are in the tank?
How old is the tank?

 

[FiShScaLe]

No corals/anemones except 3 very small frags so Im canceling out a spawning. Couple snails, couple hermits. 2 shrimp 1 blood, 1 cleaner. 1 Royal gramma, 2 perc clowns, 1 green chromis.
Tank is 1 month and 2 weeks old.

 

[FiShScaLe]

heres a cross tank shot so you can get an idea of how many there really are in the water column.

 

[norskfisk]

I can't see what it is. But if it is copepods the bloom will stop when they run out of food, which is film algae. So then it is a tank maturing phenomenon. They will eventually run out of food when the population can grow unrestricted as it does here.

 

[MichaelDavid]

The first picture look like a copepod concert on some sort. Haha the second picture, you can definitely see copepods. Search up copepods on google or on the forums. They should have a bunch of pictures for you to compare yours with.

 

[Crazyfingerz]

I had some of there critters on one of my tanks but not that many lol. My chromis' and manadrin made a good lunch of them though.

 

[FiShScaLe]

The first picture look like a copepod concert on some sort. Haha the second picture, you can definitely see copepods. Search up copepods on google or on the forums. They should have a bunch of pictures for you to compare yours with.

Yes it does look like a copepod concert thats funny. Is there such a thing as saltwater mites or something like that? If so how does a tank get them?

My chromis, clowns, and royal gramma have been having a feast they are constantly picking at the glass and picking at ones floating in the water.

What I dont understand is with all the filter socks and sponges on my system how has the tank no cleared up? Shouldnt they be getting caught in them?

 

[FiShScaLe]

I forgot to mention these things swim through the water and they move very quickly. They almost remind me of fleas. As soon as I put a light to the side of the tank they swim very fast to it. Can copepods move this quickly?