Isopod spotted

[SkinnyPete]

Last night I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to spot a Cirolanid Isopod. I spent the next hour trying to catch him with a turkey baster with no luck. I haven't seen it since. BUT, I do see little specs of somethings crawling around my glass. I can't make an id because they are sooooo tiny - could be anything. Anyone know how small the babies are? If these happen to be more, I'm assuming I'm in trouble - and I still haven't caught the big one.

Any fish that I could get as a first fish after the cycle to control these things? Do cleaner shrimp do the trick?

Thanks. If its not one thing its another.

- Skins

 

[Fluff]

I don't know of any fish that eat them. How far into the cycle are you? Maybe with your tank fallow for cycling, they will die out on thier own. The critters on your glass sound like copepods.

 

[SkinnyPete]

I cycled with just live rock and 1 raw shrimp and didn't get much ammo. The cycle finished in 10 days - so, I'm RE-cycling with two raw shrimp (hence my 'if its not one thing its another' comment). My ammo is now .25 after 3 days with 2 raw shrimp. We'll see.

I guess I'll just keep an eye out and hope I spot him again. If I do - I shall not fail again. Oh no, I shall NOT fail again!

- Skins

 

[steve-s]

You pretty much need to capture and remove them. They will not die off naturally without a host even if a parasitic species. Many species of isopod are not parasitic and those that are can just as easily survive upto a year on detritus and such without feeding on a fish host.

Cheers
Steve