sand lice

mwd90010

mwd90010

New Member
I think I have sand lice... I think this is bad, I know my uncle used to use them for bait so I really don't know. How do you feel about this? and what should I do. I have a reaf tank.
Or should I get a certain fish to eat them?
 
buzz

buzz

Active Member
What makes you think they are any sort of lice? Do they look kind of like this?

If so, they are amphipods - gammarus shrimp.
 
mwd90010

mwd90010

New Member
I have cought one I think it is smaller it might be called a sand flea. I really don't know but I have seen this before as bait but it has been serveral years and I was young. I have only seen one and it was about 1/2 inch long and about the same fat little less. it looked like a clam shell open and had leggs and short feelers like a shrimp. could smiw well and was very white. like a broken shell when laying on the ground. I will try to get a pic.
 
michaeltx

michaeltx

Moderator
probably some sort of isopod or coepods and they are normal.
you will find loads of stuff everytime you look closely into the tank.
Mike
 
buzz

buzz

Active Member
Any sand flea I have ever seen wasn't aquatic. I have a feeling what you have there are pods, of various types. Those are good. You want them in your tank.
 
nm reef

nm reef

Active Member
mwd90010...I've found over the past couple of years that in some cases you'd need to be a Marine Biologist to positively ID all the mico fauna in a stable/mature reef. I've also decided that the more micro fauna diversity you have the better off your system is...I prefer to introduce and keep an assortment of worms/pods/snails etc. that reproduce free of predators then allow them to migrate into the display where they become part of the food chain and natural diversity . For the most part none of the micro fauna I've kept has ever caused a problem...instead I seriously believe that a diversity of mico fauna can be a positive addition to a stable/mature reef.
I'd say theat what you are asking about are some sort of copepods/amphipods/isopods...and all can be a good source of diversity.
By the way...with me being from SouthEast Missouri...where you from in the "Show Me State"?
 
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