Odd little shrimp things in my tank.

[sileighty]

I have recently noticed a quite a few little shrimp looking things in my 55g. I have recently moved in some rock that was in a smaller 20g setup at my parents house. these little guys dont seem to be bothering anything in the tank. Not much in there anyway, just some xenia(sp?) and some mushrooms, as well as a few snails and hermits for now. They kinda look like little mantis shrimp though which worries me. Any ideas? I was thinking about adding some kinda fish that would feed on small crustacians or somethign like that.

 

[jackdp]

Could be pods copepods, amphipods etc. Small crustaceans often hang out in LR not bad at all....they can act as detrivores, and eat some algae...many can also become food for your fish...yummy

 

[sileighty]

pretty sure that they arent pods, or they are the biggest pods i have ever seen. My 20g had pods in it till i put a mandarin in it. didnt know that much about those at the time. after he did a number on my pod population in my small tank i gave him back to the LFS. The pods im familiar w/ look more or less like small bugs, these things seriously have little mantis like claws from what i can make out. Problem is they are everywhere
edit: anyone know somewhere i can look at pics of different kinds of pods? maybe that would help

 

[otto13]

look up mantis shrimp
if you have baby mantis shrimp, you are in trouble.

 

[jackdp]

Try looking here for pod info http://jaffeweb.ucsd.edu/jaffelab/pe.../copepods.html I guess it could be mantis shrimp but to have so many...good luck. Mantis info and pics http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/

 

[finland]

How big are the shrimp looking things?

 

[bang guy]

Do they resemble this insideous dastardly man-eater?
Just kidding... This is a harmless Amphipod....

 

[dindi]

Wouldn't a Trigger Fish take those pods out?

 

[sileighty]

sweet, that pic is exactly what i have in my tank. I have never seen pods that large before, so i was worried. I guess all is going good.