Isopods!!!!!!!!

moondog

moondog

Member
I have been noticing the fact that I have Isopods in my tank.
I got some rock about a month ago, and I think they hitched in on the rock. I am assuming they are the parasitic isopods since I keep finding them on the fins of my two tangs.
Is there anything I can do to irradicate them? I had a sixline wrasse, but he dissapeared, I am assuming the isopods got him, or he jumped. I have a cleaner shrimp, but I doubt he can get ahold of these guys.
The only thing I can think of would be to catch the fish they are on, and remove them with tweezers, the only problem there is I cannot catch my sailfin without removing the rock.
Any and all advise would be greatly appreciated.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
They are moving around on the fish or are they sort of planted in one area. How many of these isopods to you see? How big are they? (Grab a ruler to compare if you can).
Anything can come in on LR, this is very true, but most time parasites come in on their host.
 
moondog

moondog

Member
They are just showing up on the fish in the morning, and by the end of the day, they are gone. They seem to be attached, but only to the fins, I have not seen any on their bodies. At first, there was just one, and now I keep seeing smaller ones. The biggest is probably 1/8th of an inch, and has some sort of stripes, reminds me of a bee.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Stripes!?! Hmmmmm.....
You don't see anything with a similar body shape in this link do you? Scroll down to isopod.
Hitchhikers
There's a copepod that has a stripe... I'm not sure what I did with that pic though.
 
moondog

moondog

Member
Definitely looks like the Isopod-Sphaeromatid. Nasty looking little buggers. At first, I only saw one, which I figured they would not reproduce on their own, but this morning, my sailfin had one on each side of his fin. I am just thinking since I have "lost" three fish in the past couple of months, they could be the culprit. I was hoping that my sixline was eating them off of the other fish, but now he is gone. The stripes are only noticable on the larger one. By the way, great website identification tool.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
If it's a parasite, you're gonna have to catch that fish. On the same token, if it's a parasite, he'll be weakening and easier to catch in time. Feed him well. Usually with the parasites, you don't see that many of them at a given time and I wouldn't traditionally expect them to come in on rock. Not impossible, but when trying to ID these critters without a picture you have to take behaviour into account to try and solve it.
I think you would have seen them on the wrasse at some point.
Can you get a pic of any sort?
One of these days I'll get a Cirolanid to photograph.... one of these days.
 
moondog

moondog

Member
They may have hitched in on the other tang I bought back in January, that is the only other means of them getting in my tank. Now I am wishing that I had fresh water dipped my tang at the least (now that I cannot catch either of them). I never saw them on my wrasse, but I did see one on my clownfish the other day the isopod is gone, and she is fine. They do not stay on the fish for more than a day at a time, I will see them on their fins, and within a day, the thing is gone, and both tangs are healthy as could be. The Cirolanid looks very similar, and I am assuming that is the parasitic one that will eventually kill all of my fish.
I will see if they are still on the sailfin when I get home, and if I can get a pic, I will post it. At this point, I am assuming that I cannot do much, unless I can catch the fish, and physically remove them. 150 Gallon, 100+ pounds of rock, fun, fun, fun.
 
moondog

moondog

Member
Nope, Southern Maryland. If somehow, some way I get ahold of one of these, I will post a pic, and try and keep it alive. I know that you love these sorts of things. I will keep you posted. Thanks for your insight on this issue.
 
moondog

moondog

Member
Just an update Cranberry. As I assumed, whatever it was is no longer attached to the sailfin. I will keep an eye out for the next time, and try and remove the fish immediately so I can remove whatever they are.
If they are the parasitic cirolanid, would they let go like that? I never see them attached for more than a day.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Originally Posted by Moondog
http:///forum/post/3085986
If they are the parasitic cirolanid, would they let go like that? I never see them attached for more than a day.
Hmmmm, I don't know. I'm sure they are probably nocturnal so it may not be an odd behaviour to let go of a good meal. Maybe the fact they don't bolt when the lights come on shows their resistance to "giving it up". This is pure speculation on my part.
If you manage to see one and remove it, note whether or not it sort of balls up.
Like this....

A harmless Sphaeromatid will ball up like that, where a Cirolanid will not.
Are you seeing them on the base of the fins? Which fins?
I have to say I'm a little suspicious of yours. Usually they are not parasitic and I tend to lean more that way than not. But I'm not ruling anything out with yours.
No marks on the fish?
 
moondog

moondog

Member
If and when I get ahold of one of these, I will note the behavior when detached. They were on the dorsal fin of the tang, not really near the body of the fish at all, maybe that is why they are letting go. Every fish I have seen them on, they are either on the dorsal fin, or the tail, never on the body of the fish. There was some discoloration where it was attached, but that usually goes away within a day. I was looking for a bite mark, and didn't see much at all.
I agree with the nocturnal part, because they seem to attach at night, when the fish goes in its cave for the evening. By the time I get home from work, they are gone. I will definitely update if and when I can get ahold of one.
 
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