White lice on tank glass

[sirclintler]

I say white lice because that's what they look like however hey move like fleas,
they look like copepods but so small I cant be sure. They are all over my tank, I tried to take a photo but they are so small. The only things I have added are some blue legged hermits, A turbo snail and a few softies.
130 gallon system with refug and skimmer
prams are all in check and tank is 2 months old

 

[DCT326]

Congrats, you've got pods. They are a good supplemental food source for lots of other critters.

 

[sirclintler]

Thanks! Does this speak to water quality? I confident its under control but a bit of life to prove it is awesome.
Will they die off? They seem to be feasting on something on the glass, shouldn't they be in the rocks?

 

[sirclintler]

Also am I ready for a Mandrin? They say only in an 6 mo old tank should I wait?

 

[FindingEmily]

Definitely hold off on a mandarin. Pod populations can and will dwindle and surge, especially during the first few months.

 

[DCT326]

Well I don't know if it means much about water quality... I don't have a lot of experience but I do have a mandarin in a tank with a decent pod population. They eat literally constantly. The reason people say to wait is 1) to have good stable water params, and 2) to give the pods a chance to establish a substantial breeding population. Introduce a mandarin too soon and he will eat them all, then starve. I'd say be patient!

 

[sirclintler]

will do, Thank you

 

[James77]

Also am I ready for a Mandrin? They say only in an 6 mo old tank should I wait?

Don't get a mandarin because of having copepods. The pods are harmless and will balance themselves out.

But if you want a mandarin, the more time you wait the better. But anything 6-12 months is not going to change much after that.