What eats copepods?

[hifi]

I have a ton of what I think are copepods (litter white bugs crawling on the glass there quick little things) its like snow in my tank. I have 2 turbo snails 2 blue legs & 2 hermits no fish yet. What do I need to take care of them? My lfs has a Mandarin Dragonet - Spotted Gobie & I think they have some Scooter Blennys will these work & how many can I have in a 60g with 32lbs of lr? More lr to come, what do I need? I have a yellow tang & 2 Percula Clowns coming next week. Help please, I dont want my tank to be over run, if I can feed some fish with these then grate, somthing to watch & not feed :joy:

 

[pallan]

im assuming you have a new tank so plese do not get the mandarin quite yet. they require lots of established live rock in a mature system
you have the clowns coming they should help to hold down the pod population. nothing to worry about just means a good start to a hopefully to be healthy tank.

 

[hifi]

Yes its a new tank, Im not worried about them doing harm but I that if I could get a headstart on cleanup then I would be happy. Just dont like the mess, cool to look at up close. What about the Scooter? I will hold off on the Gobie!!

 

[pallan]

dont know about that one. probably is easier to get to eat prepared foods. make sure to see it eating at the LFS to be sure. take a look in the fish section probably some posts about them there.

 

[anothrname]

the scooter has the exact appetite as the mandarin from what i have read... i would wait on either of those.

 

[anothrname]

then again, i have a 2 month old setup with a good amount of lr, and i have one of each... everyone start the attacks.. LOL

 

[jonnywater]

I have a black cap basslet and the thing is a BEAST!!!! Copepods, Amphipods and Isos. He eats none stop 24/7 from the glass, rock, corals (without hurting them), lets just say every surface in the tank.

 

[hifi]

Black cap basslet? Is it safe to put in a fresh SW tank? Its not mean is it?

 

[1journeyman]

A great choice would be a 6 Line Wrasse. Pretty fish, well behaved, and it will devour pods as well as frozen foods.
A Scooter Blenny or Mandarin will quickly deplete your pod population and starve to death.

 

[darth tang]

why would you want to get rid of them?

 

[hifi]

I dont like them stuck on the glass, makes water look cloudy. If somthing can eat them then its free food

& I like the idea of having a tank that can support itself (or at least some stuff). I dont want to starve anything just want to keep it under control, isn't this what having a SW tank is all about :thinking: because if it is then I like it

 

[t3d]

Be careful for now with the mandarin. You may want to wait until you get more live rock. Mandarins eat almost all day.

 

[hifi]

I will leave the mandarin & the Blenny for now maybe get the sixline Wrasse :thinking:
not sure I may just wait till my fish come & see how they handle them.
Will the sixline also take care of Amphipods, copepods, isopods?

 

[stang5_o]

If your tank is really new, just give it some time. Pods come and go. There will always be some, but explosions in population like that are normal. They'll thin out on there own. I had them so thick in my 5 gal nano that you could hardly see through the glass when i first turned the lights on. Gradually over about a two week period, they thinned down to where you can hardly notice them. They're good to have in your tank anyway.
Good Luck!

 

[hifi]

Thanks stang5_o ,everyone has put me at ease with this, so now its better

.
BTW stang5_o I had a 89 cobra sold it

have a family now & a GTP

33mpg & 250hp its a fun family wagon but stll no stang

. I got to go & take the family shopping

maybe stop at the lfs :cheer: bye