I just bought my first live-rock 2 days ago. Yesterday, it had this very small shrimp-looking guys crawling all over it. They are about 1/4 inch long and white. Are they actually shrimp? Plus there are other things that look like little hairs that come in and out of the holes in the rock. Is all this normal? I'm also following the the advice from the "advice section" in this website about using raw shrimp for the cycling instead of real fish. Shrimp is starting to decompose.
What's on my live-rock?
- Thread starter saltwater
- Start date
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e-cat
Aquarium Advice Addict
the little white shrimp are probably mysis shrimp
reefrunner69
Aquarium Advice Addict
Or copapods, or amphipods. The "hairs are probobly, brittle stara, Spaghetti worms, ctenophores or vermetid snails.
BillyZ
Aquarium Advice Addict
Kudos for researching before you start! The decomposition is exactly what is supposed to happen... it'll get quite nasty and cotteny looking... hold your breath when it comes time to remove it after your cycle
GreatDeep
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Worms and white things
Relax. . . It is all normal, the little white shrimp looking things are amphipods or (copepods) these are both very benificial to your tank. The worms well eventually the fish will probably eat them, if not dont worry, they do no harm, and can even be benifical.
Live rock is a great way to cycle the tank. If you get a fish like a Mandarin Goby, their main diet is Amphipods and Copepods. But you should have a lot of Amphipods and copepods, and not to many fish that diet on them, you don't want to starve the fish. If you run out of Amphipods or Copepods, you can use Live Brine shrimp to feed them until you build up more amphipodds and copepods. Wait until your tank is cycled before adding fish, you can put hermit crabs in for cycling, they can survive the amonia levels.
The amphipods and copepods eat fish waste and left over food, so a good population of these is desired.
Sounds like all is going well.
Relax. . . It is all normal, the little white shrimp looking things are amphipods or (copepods) these are both very benificial to your tank. The worms well eventually the fish will probably eat them, if not dont worry, they do no harm, and can even be benifical.
Live rock is a great way to cycle the tank. If you get a fish like a Mandarin Goby, their main diet is Amphipods and Copepods. But you should have a lot of Amphipods and copepods, and not to many fish that diet on them, you don't want to starve the fish. If you run out of Amphipods or Copepods, you can use Live Brine shrimp to feed them until you build up more amphipodds and copepods. Wait until your tank is cycled before adding fish, you can put hermit crabs in for cycling, they can survive the amonia levels.
The amphipods and copepods eat fish waste and left over food, so a good population of these is desired.
Sounds like all is going well.
kidafius
Aquarium Advice Freak
Where you from in Texas? Near College Station?
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