Parasitic mites?

[RandyRhoads]

I just got back from a week long vacation and noticed two things. First there is what appears to be mold growing above the water on the sides. Second there are hundreds of tiny red brown round bugs moving on the sides of the tank. Are these some sort of parasite, or just some type of zooplankton that the fish can eat?

25 gal FOWLR, 1 Lion, 1 Snowflake eel.

 

[Flreefer]

Those sound like SPS predatory red bugs. I don't know if they can affect fish or not, they attack stony corals. Interceptor is a product uses to kill them, but has conflicting reports of effecting other crustaceans in the tank.
In a FOWLR system, they may just die off, as there won't be enough food for them to thrive.
Try googling red bugs in a FOWLR, and see what it says. Good luck with it.

 

[RandyRhoads]

Thanks. I asked the LFS guy and he said it sounded like harmless copepods. After scrubbing the sides it's a day later and I don't see them anymore. I don't have any corals just a few button polyps on LR .What is SPS, I googled it and all that came up was small penis syndrome, lol.

 

[Flreefer]

Thanks. I asked the LFS guy and he said it sounded like harmless copepods. After scrubbing the sides it's a day later and I don't see them anymore. I don't have any corals just a few button polyps on LR .What is SPS, I googled it and all that came up was small penis syndrome, lol.

Hahaha....Short Polyp Stony coral.
I would google Copepods to see if they look the same. There are thousands of different Copepods, but red and brown doesn't sound right.
Without any coral, even if they are red bugs, you'll probably be alright, just don't know if they can affect fish.

 

[crister13]

LOL that's pretty funny. I wouldnt worry. The only thing I would worry about would be upgrading. Those fish get way to big for a 25g......