Little white organisms on glass ... what are these guys?

[blk2000xjc]

Forgive me if I'm totally clueless here but I've recently noticed little white organisms hopping around on the glass in my tank ... and possibly floating around in the water. What are these guys? Are they harmful? Good?

 

[BillyZ]

Given the limited description, they are quite likely copepods. These are certainly good things to have in your tank. I'm assuming you have LR and/or LS? This is where they come from and are an important part to why you have LR and LS.

 

[blk2000xjc]

Interesting, I have no live rock or live sand in the tank

The closest I have is crushed coral substrate.

 

[BillyZ]

Then on that note... I'll slide this over to the identification forum for proper exposure.


Can you give us a little more detail of the "organisims" Does it have legs? antenae? can you give us a general shape?

what DO you have in your tank besides the CC substrate?

and, last but not least... any chance you could take a macro snapshot for us to take a look at?

 

[blk2000xjc]

They are TINY little white guys. I didn't think they were alive at first, but after watching for a while I noticed them moving around ... more like hopping around ... not moving very far each time. They are TINY ... so small I can't see antennae or anything of that detail.

I can try to take some pics, but I doubt I'll be able to zoom in enough to get a good picture. I'll try tonight.

 

[blk2000xjc]

You know, I bet they came along for the ride from the LFS.

Other than the CC substrate, I've got a bunch of decorative rocks. For animals all I've got a handful of snails, hermit crabs, a shrimp, and an urchin. All my fish died Monday and Tuesday due to some nasty little parasites.

 

[BillyZ]

can you give us a little history of your tank? how long has it been set up, how did you cycle it, what has the history of water parameters been? What was the most recent addition to your tank? what kind of "decorative" rocks are in the tank? What do you feed your fish, etc.

just trying to narrow things down to see whats going on.

 

[blk2000xjc]

Sure!

The tank has been up and running since February 2003 (so for 7 mos).
I cycled it with 3 damsels.
Water parameters? I'm assuming you mean the various levels ... pH has always been around 8.2, Ammonia almost non-existant, Nitrites non-existant, Nitrates were higher the last time I changed water (35 ppm). I've regularly changed the water, so the levels have always remained pretty good.

What kind of decorative rocks ... well, I really don't know ... just the kind the LFS has sitting on the bottom shelf.

Most recent additions to the tank were a Kobe Tang (which brought in the parasites from my estimation) and some hermit crabs and some snails.

I feed (fed) the fish frozen Mysis and some omni flakes.

 

[sillyfishy]

I think I just found the same thing in my take too! They look like little tiny pods or something suck to the glass, they're kinda swaying in the currant but attached at one end. I do have live rock, few fish, anemone, hermits. What the heck are they?? They're kinda freakin' me out!! 8O 8O 8O