investation!!! :(

[salty]

ok i have a 40 gallon tank that has been set up for about 3 months now and the other day i noticed hundreds of what seem to be tiny bugs (or tiny mantis shrimp) all over all of my rock (about45 lbs!) they only come out when its dark and u see them when u turn the lights on at night they run in to all the littles holes in the rock scattering like roaches i know this is really bad and i was wondering if anybody here could help me identify the pests and help my find a way to get rid of them ... my tank specs are:
40 gallon tank
45 lbs live cured rock
hermits
turbos
trigger
tang
wrasse (just added this today hoping it might eat these pests)
thanks in advance

 

[yamahaguy06]

I used to have them as well, I'm not shure what they are but i dont think there that bad....

 

[1979camaro]

these "pests" are actually beneficial organisms called "pods" (amphipods or copepods usually). they are an indication that your tank is stable and healthy, which is actualyl kind of surprising because you've got some big fish in a small tank...

 

[aresgod]

camaro is right this is a good thing dont do anythign to try to get rid of them

 

[KahluaZzZ]

http://web.odu.edu/sci/biology/jrh/whatis.htm

 

[salty]

so these are actually good? what is that these creatures actually do? they wont harm my fish? and what about my live rock will they not destoy it?

 

[1979camaro]

yep, good! they mostly swim around and eat detritus and such. won't harm fish (will become a yummy snack), and they will burrow into your live rock but that will not destroy it (and is actually good because it increases surface area)

 

[KahluaZzZ]

scavengers..and eat uneated food, detritus...

 

[S.Reef]

A lot of fish eat these. If you dont like them geta litle psuedo of some sort, or arrow crab.

 

[dbacksrat]

lol--this post is kinda funny
pods eat all kinds of crazy things like detritus, dead fish, and algae--definetly a good part of any cleanup crew

 

[KahluaZzZ]

love those creatures

 

[dbacksrat]

you would kinda be screwed without em--besides, they're the most interesting part of the system (IMO)

 

[Fishfreak]

I don't have any. Where can I get some? I have seen some sites selling them in bottles

 

[aresgod]

I am sure you have some, if you have LR they are there

 

[Fishfreak]

Of course I have LR. I haven't seen any. I ordered some moon lights so maybe I will be able to see them at night without using a flashlight.

 

[KahluaZzZ]

even if you have little...it'll be a pod fest one day

 

[Fishfreak]

I just looked and noticed a pod on my glass. Yay! I see little egg like things. Are those pod eggs?

 

[aresgod]

most likely those are actual pods, try looking at night with a flashlight, alot more stuff especially pods come out at night

 

[dbacksrat]

i bought LR from liveaquaria.com and didn't get anything noticable--but when i bought corals (attached to some REAL LR), i got pods pods pods galore

the lfs is a great source for pods

 

[Fishfreak]

I looked after the lights went out and notice little wormlike things swimming around. What are these?