Pods and glass cleaning?

[crystain]

Pods just started to flourish in my tank. They are all over the glass and LR.
Is there any way to clean the algae off the glass without disrupting the pods as well? Or do you just clean the glass and pods be damned? My thought was to clean one or two wall at a time and wait for their numbers to build up again before cleaning the other walls.

 

[mlm]

Are you sure they are pods on the glass? Most pods will not be on the glass and you usually do not see them when the lights are on. Are the white in color?

 

[kris walker]

I use to have the same problem when I was experiencing an algae bloom. I just tried my best to not squish them when I went to clean the glass. But I only cleaned the front wall. Over a couple of months, they and the snails ate the other walls clean of algae. Pods love microalgae.
kris

 

[maui]

What are the white things on the glass called? If they are not pods aren't pods the bug looking things in the live rock?

 

[mlm]

I don't know what they are called but the look like a tiny flat snail shell on the glass. I personally have never seen pods on the glass when the lights were on.

 

[broomer5]

I use the magfloat magnetic glasscleaner.
There seems to be some room in between the "bristles" of the wet side of this magnet cleaner to allow for some room for pods.
I'm absolutely sure I squish some though, so I guess it's pod's be damned.
I've not noticed a substantial drop in pods due to cleaning the glass - although I certainly don't count the little buggers either.

 

[kris walker]

When I meant pods, I meant little white wormy critters and tiny white specs that darted around. Don't know if they are considered pods proper, but I don't know what else to call them. I guess they are "critters". I also have those flattened snail-like crustacions (sp?) on my sides too.
kris

 

[byrself]

i was told countless times the little white critters on my glass were pods. i have the one's with the little shells and the "bugs", and was told by this bb they were all pods. someone please set this straight, cause it seems to be a confusing debate on here. i'm definately confused. <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[reeferx]

When I meant pods, I meant little white wormy critters and tiny white specs that darted around. Don't know if they are considered pods proper, but I don't know what else to call them.<hr></blockquote>
Annalids.

 

[mlm]

What you are describing is definitly pods, but I personally have never seen them in my tank when the lights are on.

 

[reeferx]

I was thinking of the spiral micro feather duster thing. When I saw the word 'shell' in this thread that is why I thought of annalids.
But taking another look, if these are just 'bugs' then it probably is copepods, amphipods or some kind of 'pod.' I have seen them with the lights on, but never a ton of them.
If they are on your glass, you probably have a good population of them. I wouldn't worry about losing a few.
You can always make a pod pile somewhere too as insurance.

 

[broomer5]

If what you see are very small whitish specs, that cling to the glass, and have very jerky start and stop movements - most likely they are copepods. They are tiny little specs.
I see them when lights are on and off, on glass, on rocks, and most recently are taking over the 1/2" clear vinyl tubing from sump to refugium - I mean A LOT.
Amphipods on the other hand grow much larger - 1/8" not uncommon, some even larger.
They have a curled appearance, segmented outer covering/shell sort of look, noticible legs underneath this curled body, and sort of crawl around on things in the tank. Live rock is where I see most of these critters, although they are also sometimes seen on the glass and in/on the sandbed. They will also sometimes gather in filter compartments where there is a lot of trapped food for them to munch on.
A decent magnifying glass is a great asset when looking at these little buggers - if you're in to looking at small marine bugs.
Worms - well that's a whole other story.

 

[krusk]

yep,
I saw copepods in my tanks regardless of light on/off
in my tank they use to hangout on the glass wall about 1" above the sand bed.
they look like ant, smaller, if you look closely the have little legs too. And as Broomer describe, they move, stop, move (jerky movement)

 

[oneflysi]

uhh, i just put my fish back into my tank after a 30 day ick treatment....and i have pods all over my glass. a TON of them. want proof?

and that was after the fish had been in the tank for about 2 days eating them. you could barely see through the glass
-One

 

[wrassecal]

Try this link and click on bugs to crustaceons, It's an informative website
<a href="http://www.reef.org/hhfaq/index.html" target="_blank">www.reefs.org/hhfaq/index.html</a>