BUGS! What are these?

oldskool89

oldskool89

New Member
I came home from work today to find a bunch of little bugs all on the front of my glass! I just now noticed them, although there are is quite the lot of these little goobers on my glass so i dont know how long they have been there. Are these things dangerous? Ive got a 30gal reef tank that has been up and running for close to two years - if not more. I have not added ANYTHING to the tank in at least 6 months and ive only got one clown fish (had more...RIP). As it stands, nothing has changed for a good six months - except i got a new bulb (power compact 50/50) in early december. Can i get anything to get rid of these bugs? Should i get rid of them? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
P.S. First post!

 
blackjacktang

blackjacktang

Active Member
welcome to the boards!
Yes copepods and amphipods. Very good things like jstdv8 said.
I have always had them in my tank. They will also make good fish food to some gobies.
 
blackjacktang

blackjacktang

Active Member
Also. Is that aiptasia??
If it is it can be hazerdous to fish and corals.
I know, i have had a super investation and i ended up having to soak my live rock in freshwater for an hour. Not even joes juice can cure it.
 
oldskool89

oldskool89

New Member
truthfully...I dont know! Im a very amateur aquarist and i ended up starting my tank off with one on a frag and then POOF its all ive got in my tank. I dont mind it, and it does not seem to be damaging anything, but i would like to get a fish or something that could feed off of them to cut back on the overgrowth. Again - any ideas? Thanks for the speedy responses! I like this board already!
 
blackjacktang

blackjacktang

Active Member
It is a great bored!
Alright, just to clerify, did you buy the tank new or did you buy it setup already?
Do you know the Nitrogen Cycle?
 
oldskool89

oldskool89

New Member
I set it up myself - with help from friends. And no, i do not know the Nitrogen cycle. Here is a better picture of what may be aiptasia. Sorry about the algae - its in dire need of a wipe.

 
J

jstdv8

Guest
Not aiptasia, but whatever they are they are cool looking and look to be completely overrunning your tank.
 
oldskool89

oldskool89

New Member
Yeah, they can be cool...but i think they might be the reason why my anemones are not going so hot. It started off as one, then split, and has never really been the same size ever again. Now i just have two reall small anemones that barely have arm thingies. It's a bummer because my clown now hides behind the rocks as opposed to in front, in the anemone where he was easily visible...not to mention anemones are cool! my avatar shows a picture of it's better days. Back in the day, when this was a 20 gal. tank, i would add calcium to the tank - but i stopped. Will calcium encourage my anemones to grow? Ive got quite the lot of questions so i can not begin to thank you all for the help!
 
oldskool89

oldskool89

New Member
i do not feed it directly - no. Should i get some frozen foods like brine shrimp or something and do it that way? Again, i used to...i guess i used to do a lot more than i do now. I gotta step it up!
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
there might be a copepod in there but the majority of those things are isopods. I had a bunch like that when I setup my tank originally. With no natural preditor, they multiply really fast. Once you get a fish in there, just about any fish, they will slowly disapear but never go away completely. My first fishies were a pair of clowns and they did a marvelous job at getting rid of these free fish foods.
Stay away from brine. Its like potato chips. Sure they are great once in a while, even better with helleva good dip too, but you cant live on that. Get mysis shrimp instead.
And could some experienced person chime in on wth that is all over the tank plox.
 
blackjacktang

blackjacktang

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/383333/bugs-what-are-these#post_3352074
there might be a copepod in there but the majority of those things are isopods. I had a bunch like that when I setup my tank originally. With no natural preditor, they multiply really fast. Once you get a fish in there, just about any fish, they will slowly disapear but never go away completely. My first fishies were a pair of clowns and they did a marvelous job at getting rid of these free fish foods.
Stay away from brine. Its like potato chips. Sure they are great once in a while, even better with helleva good dip too, but you cant live on that. Get mysis shrimp instead.
And could some experienced person chime in on wth that is all over the tank plox.
+1 I am one to LOVE feeding mysis. I have been using it for a long time and it has never let me down. All my fish cant get enough!
 
gmford1979

gmford1979

Member
man those are some pretty rocks you have going in there. and a manderin dragonet would help you with your problem. i have had multiple anemones, from a HUGE carpet to a sebae, and i have always fed them just raw pieces of shrimp from the grocery store. i think some people will tell you that they don't like it, but they LOVE it and have all grown from about 2" to the carpet got well over 10" in diameter in just over a year. actually out grew my tank, but sold it to my LFS for a $250.
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
those are the prettiest aiptasia ive ever seen.
mine are ugly and brown. Either way if tehy are aiptasia, they must die.
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
+ there is all that bubble algea in there. Might be a good time to donate fish and other livestock, take everything out and start over. Boil the rock, scrub the tank, rinse, resetup.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/383333/bugs-what-are-these#post_3352461
+ there is all that bubble algea in there. Might be a good time to donate fish and other livestock, take everything out and start over. Boil the rock, scrub the tank, rinse, resetup.
Yup.....take everything out and redo..... I'd let the rock sit in a garage for 4 weeks or boil it, and boil substrate too. Clorox 1 gal to 20gal tank capacity and let everything stearlize running; drain & refil with tap & run; drain and begin with new saltwater....replace all elements and start over.....it's a 2 month process getting back to adding any fish/inverts......
Then stick to rigid qtine proceedures for ALL new additions - aiptasia love to come in on a frag or rock as a tiny grain of salt - invisible - but give them good water/light/food and BAM u got hundreds...
Yikes - that's the worst I've ever seen! ! !
 
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