Tiny white bugs

Anyone ever seen the teeny tiny white bugs that run around on your glass. They are not much bigger than a pinhead. kinda oblong in shape.
Its a new tank I have and this is the first sign of life from the live rock. Other than the dying corals and other soft creatures that have since died.

White bugs?....anyone

Jay

 

Me thinks they are copods. Excellent news

IMO you really want to encourage these little critters, they make great food for coral

John

 

Hi Jay,

I've been cycling my new tank for about two weeks now and just started noticing tons of white bugs, too. There must be a couple of hundred of them that appeared overnight. I was also wondering what these are.

Additionally, I've got a brown algae bloom going on the surface of my sand. I thought the algae was moving until I took a closer look and discovered tons of larger "bugs" different from the white ones. These guys are brownish and all running around. It reminds me of the scene from Red Planet where Val Kilmer and the other guy a looking at the sea of martian insects eating algae. I think these algae bugs are amphipods or copepods or something like that. The move pretty quick -- like cockroaches.

I've got some pictures but they are all blurry because I can't seem to get the macro to focus properly.

Anyone know what the names of these creatures are and where to get more info? Just curious about learning more about my tank life.

Thanks,
Greg

 

No, its ICHE, kill them all Just kidding, yah, sounds like some kinda pod.

Give this article a glance, it may tell you.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/rs/index.htm

 

Welcome Om_Seeker!

Could be some brown diatoms on your sand. Diatoms will appear until the silica is precipitated out of your sand. Just part of the tank maturation process and coincident with the time your tank has been cycling.

 

Cool article! Thanks, Gresham.

I guess the first fish I end up sticking in the tank is going to have a giant amphipod buffet!

 

Yep...Ive got the brown algea all over the glass and the aregolight rock I have for the substrate. Look What I won on Ebay. Probably wasnt ready for them yet but I was in the mood to sling some coin.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4320155055&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOAB:US:6

 

Blue leg hermits are fabulous algeavores when juveniles. As they mature and their claws develop they become carnivores and can be tough on the snail/limpet population.

I buy them small and when they grow up I "exchange" them for credit at the LFS and get a new batch of the algea workers. It helps defray the cost of maintaining the maintenance crew. JFYI.

 

test post

 

Hey Jay

Let us know how your ebay experience went, I am looking for some crabs and If you had a good experience I may try that company.