ID Help Please!!

[Weehawken64]

Got these lil guys all over my tank crawling in and out of live rock. Good or bad? And what fish feeds on them? Thank you.

 

[Keithhjs]

Got these lil guys all over my tank crawling in and out of live rock. Good or bad? And what fish feeds on them? Thank you.

Copepods. Beneficial organisms. Some people pay for them to feed to other livestock.

 

[Weehawken64]

Thank Keith, I have tons of them. Guess they came in the live rock. Tank is about 5 weeks now and just have a small cuc. Want to get fish soon, maybe they can feed in these guys?

 

[Keithhjs]

Yeah your fish will munch on them most likely. Smaller fish love them and for some its their main food source. Many of us utilize refugiums in order to cultivate them for our tanks. I do myself so my Mandarin Dragonet always has a good supply.

 

[Weehawken64]

Keith, is there a reef friendly beginner fish you can recommend that will feed on them? Thank you.

 

[Keithhjs]

There are plenty of fish that would eat them that are reef safe but it would be good to know what size tank you have and any other livestock or livestock plans.

 

[Tony Gill]

Amphipods rather than copepods, but still good fish food!

Tony

 

[Weehawken64]

Thanks Tony! It's a 29gl biocube will be a reef tank.

 

[54seaweed]

six lines love them

 

[Keithhjs]

six lines love them

+1 on the six line. I've kept one in every reef I've had. Some describe them as semi aggressive but I guess I've been lucky and had rather peaceful specimens.

 

[Weehawken64]

Thanks guys. Looks like my first fish is gona be a six-line!

 

[JonathanG]

Ill just throw this out there, my experience has been the opposite with a 6-line wrasse. It terrorized my firefish and flame wrasse and the whole tank was skittish. Caught him and took him to a lfs to trade and the whole tank was much better. That is just my experience with one and I know others have had good success. He did look very nice cruising around the rocks but his aggressiveness was just too much.

 

[Weehawken64]

Boy now I'm realize split. I really want but I really dnt want a possible tank bully.

 

[mr_X]

Why do you think you need the pods eaten? People go out and buy a "clean up crew" and you have a free one right there. No reason to kill them off. They are harmless scavengers.

 

[Weehawken64]

There so many, all over the place. Thought I would need to keep them somewhat in check. No?

 

[Keithhjs]

There so many, all over the place. Thought I would need to keep them somewhat in check. No?

No, they are good to have in your tank.

 

[Weehawken64]

Also thought it will be a good first fish for my reef. Looks good and does a job. The 2 things I'm looking for.

 

[mr_X]

Pod populations will rise and fall with available food. No need to keep them in check. You'll never be overrun with them.