copepods?

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by Mr._Bond, Dec 13, 2005.

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  1. Mr._Bond

    Mr._Bond Feather Duster

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    When I first started my tank, I had several little "bug" like creatures swimming around and I assumed they were copepods. Then I got fish and snails and crabs and shrimp and the "bugs" disappeared. Didn't see any until the recently I saw a skin of one floating. Now in the past couple days I have seen more and more of them and some of them are getting pretty large (relatively). I'm wanting to make sure that these really are copepods and that I shouldn't be concerned about their sudden influx. They look like little white, almost clear, curled up shrimp without a tail. Can't get my hand steady enough to get a picture of them that's large enough to see them that isn't blurry. Any thoughts?
     
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  3. telman2010

    telman2010 Bristle Worm

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    Sounds like copepods to me:)
     
  4. rickzter

    rickzter Torch Coral

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    I would say brine, but they are tanny in color and have a tail! I just love seeing those little bastards running around my rock. :tongue4:
     
  5. Big_Wally_B

    Big_Wally_B Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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  6. Big_Wally_B

    Big_Wally_B Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Technically speaking

    Technically speaking they are probably amphipods. Copepods are much more difficult to see with the naked eye as they are only approx. 1mm in length. Amphipods are somewhat larger. Most of us don't nitpick over the difference.;D
     
  7. Blade_Runner

    Blade_Runner Gigas Clam

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    Sounds like pods. It normally is a good sign of a healthy ecosystem. If you want a better look and since you have a Wet/Dry running, pull the filter pad. They tend to get sucked in and multiply there.
     
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  9. rayjay

    rayjay Gigas Clam

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    Definitely not Brine as they won't survive in a tank with fish. They are too slow to avoid capture within a short time of being placed in the tank.
    As mentioned, copepods are small, allthough some are larger than others, while amphipods are large enough to see easily, especially at night.
    Mysid shrimp are very common, and most types look like baby cleaner shrimp. The mysids are very quick, and it takes a fast, patient fish to catch them. (or another mysid, as larger ones prey on the smaller ones)
     
  10. Jason McKenzie

    Jason McKenzie Super Moderator

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    Brine do not live long in salt water nor do they reproduce in a SG as high as reef salt water.

    I could be wrong but I think your seeing PODs as well

    J
     
  11. kb.bear

    kb.bear Peppermint Shrimp

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    The curl is a give-away... amphipods
     
  12. rayjay

    rayjay Gigas Clam

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    You must be referring to Brine that I'm not aware of.
    Brine shrimp come from salt water bodies (like the Great Salt Lake which is typically 3 to 5 times saltier than the ocean) where they are harvested for both the adult brine foods we feed our fish, and for the cysts from which we hatch the nauplii to also feed our fish/tanks.
    I buy cysts from Brine Shrimp Direct which gets it's supply from the Great Salt Lake, to hatch, and to grow out to adult, at which point they reproduce in my containers.
    I typically use a s.g. of 1.025 at the moment, and have used s.g. as low as 1.015 and as high as 1.038, with reproduction occuring at all levels.
    Brine shrimp will live in water with s.g. so high that nothing else will grow, so they are esentially bacteria, and parasite free at that point.
    For FACTUAL information on Brine Shrimp, see this article written by Patrick Lavens and Patrick Sorgeloos of the Laboratory of Aquaculture and Artemia Reference Center at:
    ARTEMIA INFORMATION

    For my BRINE SHRIMP page go to:
    RAISING BRINE SHRIMP