are these pods ? & whats killing my livestock ?

misty7850

Member
these pictures aren't two good, but I was hoping if someone could tell me are they pods ? Good or bad ?.
I am still having problems in my tank with something eating my livestock. I have left my blenny scooter and my banded shrimp. my other two clown fish started looking stressed for a few days, then my smaller one just POOF ! disappeared, and my larger one a couple days later is lying at the bottom of the tank in distress, and died within the hour. My shrimp coming up missing within a week of putting them in. I'm not putting anything else in untill I get the "Killer" out.
Anywho, I set this trap to catch the killer whomever or whatever it may be, and this is all I come up with. I did see a couple larger bristtleworms in my tank, could be close to a foot or so long. Never hear any clicking noises. We have even stayed up all night with flashlight watching and waiting... nothing... HELP :help: :help: :help:
All my corals are doing fine.
 
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ogdog30

Guest
if your livestock is dead its most likly a isopod do a serch on them.
 
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wizardofos

Guest
What have you lost? "Livestock" is not too specific. Just the two clowns?
12" Bristles sound big to me. They might just finish a small clown in one night - no remains.
Blennies are have been known to prey on other fish - the mimic in particular.
Did the deceased have pieces missing when they died?
Any other symptoms that they may have shown - Please check the top threads (stickies) in the diseased fish forum.
Pics of the fish - or if the remaining fish begin to get sick, pics of them - would help.
BangGuy would better be able to spot a killer mite from your pics.
 

spline9

Member
I believe what you have in your pic is an amphipod. They are harmless and sometimes are a source of "free food" as well as a member of your cleanup crew. I wouldnt worry about those guys.
Your bristleworms arent likely to be the killers. They should only be feeding off dead/dying tissue. If the real killer didnt finish the bodies, the bristleworms (and probably other members of cleanup crew) did a good job at making it vanish. Since you dont hear the tell-tale clicking, I would guess a gorrilla crab or something of the sort. Keep listening for clicking, though.
Oh, if you dont already use this... try to put a red filter of some sort over your flashlight. Apparently the critters (not sure if this applies to all marine critters, probably not) cant see red light so they wont be too afraid to come out. It may help.
Good luck.
 

fishcake

Member
definately an amphipod.
Did you put any florida Live rock in your tank?
Because that rock can carry all kinds of nasties.
 

misty7850

Member
wizardofos:
To be specific in the livestock.
I have lost so far. The two clowns, I mentioned, no they did not look sick. I also loast 3 peppermint shrimp, 1 skunk cleaner shrimp, and 3 camel shrimp, my anemone crab, some of my blue leg hermits, and some of the snails.
There were no remains from the smaller clown at all
The larger clown, wasn't dead when I found it, just looked very stressed out.
The shrimp-no remains, the anemone crab, no remains, the blue legs and snails, the shells are left behind.
I have tried with my lr, the freshwater dip, the high salinity dip, nothing but a bunch of small pods, come scooting out. I tried traps, all I got was the same.
No luck with anything I have tried thus far.
the rock I have is supposed to be figi lr.
I have also already tried the red filter over the flashlight, no luck..
 
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wizardofos

Guest
It must be something eating your crabs and shrimp. It must be something that can consume the critter - shell and all - since no remains were left behind. You said your corals are doing fine - so it would seem your water params are good. But just in case would you tell us what the readings are for your water?
I would try and remove the bristle worms as a first step.
Sounds like you have been doing all of the right things to locate a crab or mantis shrimp that might be doing the deeds.
I had a problem with snails dying for unknown reasons until the culprit performed the act on the top front glass of the tank. It was another snail that was eating the turbo snails. It is now in a fish only tank awaiting it's fate - the trigger will eventually make a meal out of it. Are all of your snails the same type?
 

ophiura

Active Member
The pictures are, as mentioned, harmless (actually very good) amphipods - part of a group collectively known as "pods."
I doubt that your problem is the bristleworms, and I would not try and remove them. They might, however, help eat a dead fish rapidly, which is why they are considered good. The few "predatory" bristleworms tend to go after corals and such...I would be surprised, though it is not impossible, if you had one killing and eating so many fish.
What are you specific water parameters? Did you keep your fish in QT before adding them, or did they go straight in the tank? How long had they been at the LFS? Do you ever hear clicking in your tank, like for a mantis?
 
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b_rabun1

Guest
i am new to this.so would someone please tell me what they mean by clicking sound from the tank means?:notsure:
 

ophiura

Active Member
An irregular clicking sound (meaning not an impeller or something from the mechanics of the tank) could indicate a mantis shrimp, which can cause "unexplained" death of some livestock. A search for mantis shrimp would give you lots of information.
 

misty7850

Member
Hi everyone, thanks for all the input.
My water parameters are (my nitrate were reading between 10-15 until we put in the sump, now everything is good)
PH 8.2
Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
calcium 440
SG 35
Salinity 1.026
I have two different kind of snails. I have turbo/astrea snails and also nassarius snails
I have Blue leg crabs, scarlets and two emeralds. I do have one unknown which has white legs, but its been in there for a while and doesn't seem to be very assertive.
I quarentine my fish for about 4 days before adding them to the main tank, and I they are usually at my lfs about a week, before I bring them home.
I still got traps set up. I went out and got "cheap bait" a damsel and a couple shrimp. hate to use sacrificial bait, but I can't add anything else of value, so they can get killed anyway. Anywho, I got one trap with the damsel in it and one trap with the shrimp in it. and I also have a bristtleworm trap, which so far only caught one small brisstle and a bunch of those pods... LOL...
I did find one rock with a big bristtle in it and I placed it down in my sump.
Still we do not hear any clicking noises in the tank, but I do understand that one doesn't always hear them. I have done research on the mantis shrimp.. and also pods, and or anything else which could be doing this...
Right now we are at a wait and see.. this morning, nothing in the traps but the damsel and shrimp.... Still waiting........
here is a picture of the white leg (unknown) crab
 

snipe

Active Member
Your params are good as long as your nitrates are 20ppm or lower there fine.
The turbo snails are great the astreas will die if they fall and you dont upright them and IMO the nassarius are the best!
I dont know what the white leg one is mabey an albino hermit?
They need to be QT for about 3 weeks and the LFS tank dont count since you want to QT from stuff they may get from the LFS.
Leave the por bristle worms and pods alone there good for your tank and will help with dead stuff.
I dont think the damsle will work in traping a shrimp it probly wont be attracted to a live healthy fish.
As far as the all the shrimp dieing my guess is an isopod I know there is one that will atach to side of shrimp and suck there blood.
 

snipe

Active Member
I have heard from someone. That when bristle worms are small there good for the tank and when they get big they can be trouble by eating live things. Dont know exactly what they would attack but that is what I heard.
 

ophiura

Active Member
Though I admit to being scared of the really big worms (foot or more +), in general if they are a scavenger, it seems they remain scavengers, even at larger sizes.
There are just so many different species and it if virtually impossible for the hobbyist to identify them.
 
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