Isopod infestation-now what?

Barry69 · 02/06/2008, 09:34 AM

Well, I have Isopods. Lots of them all sizes. I got three out of my sponge filter but there are plenty more that come out at night. There is just no way Im going to catch them all.

Is it possible to put put live rock in non-salt water and see if the bugs scatter out and maybe die? If so, how long can that safely be done?

I just dont know what to do. I feel like this is a death sentence to my tank. Someone suggested a Copperband Butterfly fish but I don't see anything where they will eat isopods, only brine shrimp.

Any help is appreciated. I had a hard time getting good pics, even on my camera's macro setting but I have no doubt of what they are. They are clearly isopods.

Blindmelonbob · 02/06/2008, 11:00 AM

Is this a joke? :/ If not, isopods are a good thing.

Radioheadx14 · 02/06/2008, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blindmelonbob
Is this a joke? :/ If not, isopods are a good thing.

Some isopods are parasitic to fish and can decimate a tank.

Blindmelonbob · 02/06/2008, 11:19 AM

Are we talking cirolanid isopods?

Anemone · 02/06/2008, 12:07 PM

Yes, you really need to determine the type of isopods in your tank. Most are not problematic.

Kevin

LobsterOfJustice · 02/06/2008, 01:37 PM

If you are catching them in a sponge, they are likely okay (not necessarily though). Have you observed them on your fish?

useskaforevil · 02/06/2008, 06:24 PM

i would bet that if you had a major infestion of bad isopods it would be too late to help your fish.

Drake1 · 02/06/2008, 09:14 PM

they make a great snack for almost all fish, if they were the bad type then your fish would already be sick...look to see if any are hanging off the sides of your fish at night to see if there the bad type
jeff

SDguy · 02/06/2008, 09:18 PM

Do they look like this? These are good harmless amphipods.:

Bad isopods usually attach to fish, and have black eyes, like this:

rbursek · 02/06/2008, 09:24 PM

Nice pics, get a canavore fish.
Bob

jman77 · 02/06/2008, 09:42 PM

do they look like any of these ?

SDguy · 02/06/2008, 09:44 PM

LOL, I tried to pick the least gross picture from the google image search...you clearly went the other direction

ACBlinky · 02/06/2008, 09:52 PM

OMG those make me shudder. Barry69 -- do they have big, black eyes? Are any attached to the fish? As people said, most isopods are fine and just make up part of the mix of 'pods' in our tanks; isopods, amphipods and copepods are all 'pods', and most that show up in our reefs fall under the category of fish snack.

dendro982 · 02/07/2008, 08:01 AM

If small, like this:

wrasse takes care of it in two days. Scutter dragonet should help, but later you will have to feed it. Neon goby may help, as I had read, but not tried.

jeffbrig · 02/07/2008, 08:29 AM

I've been down the cirolanid route as well, and was able to rid my tank of them.

There are many different species. Some are simply scavengers, some are parasites that feed on live fish, others will do either. I noticed mine before I started adding fish to the tank. I knew they were scavengers, but I didn't know if they would harm my fish.

I set a simple trap - a tall glass with some shrimp in the bottom. At night, they would swim into the trap to eat the shrimp. I pulled them out 5-10 at a time at night. Eventually the numbers started dwindling, and I stopped when I didn't see any after the trap spent 24 hours in the tank. I repeated a few weeks later, and still nothing. Haven't seen any signs of them since.

Untamed12 · 02/07/2008, 05:28 PM

I also successfully did battle with ciranolid isopods. I first identified them because they were often still attached to my fish first thing in the morning. (they are nocturnal)

I set baited traps built from 500 ml plastic soda bottles. Cut the top 1/3 of the bottle off and invert the top into the bottom. Drill a ciranolid sized hole in the cap.

Add some shrimp bits and some weight to hold the bottle down. Put the bottle(s) in the tank just before lights out and go to bed. In the morning remove the bottles along with your captured victims.

It is VERY effective and wonderful in that the only creatures that can get into the bottles seem to free-swimming ciranolids.

Repeat until you stop catching them.

Barry69 · 02/07/2008, 05:52 PM

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply.

My tank is only 4 weeks old so there are no fish. I have 3 Astrea Snails, 1 Peppermint shrimp, 2 Hermit Crabs and a couple of brittle starfish that were hitchhikers. So far, none of the invertabrates have been affected.

I have been reading some articles on isopods and there is nothing that has been proven to eat them that can be held in a tank such as mine.

Yes, the isopods have black eyes and the blunted tails. They will curl up also. And are they ever fast!

Thanks for the ideas with the shrimp! Im definately going to try that. It gives me hope!

Here are a couple of pics...sorry, I tried to get better ones but this is the best I could do...

Drake1 · 02/07/2008, 11:10 PM

well they need fish to live, don't add fish for 4 months and they will all be dead
jeff

Drake1 · 02/07/2008, 11:11 PM

I'm sorry I should say breed, there life span is around 3 months so 4 months is a safe bet

Barry69 · 02/07/2008, 11:25 PM

I took Untamed12's suggestion and built a trap. I looked in and the first 2 hours there are 3 in there! I'll keep doing this and maybe this will be my tanks saving grace!

Thanks for everyones suggestions!

LockeOak · 02/07/2008, 11:44 PM

Wow, this is one of the first times I've seen someone freaking out about isopods in their tank and they actually have what appear to be parasitic isopods in their tank (instead of amphipods, nonparasitic isopods, etc.). Good luck with them, the trap idea is a good one. If you wouldn't mind periodically updating this post with your capture counts it might be educational.

danceswithfish · 02/08/2008, 06:35 AM

Those things give the me the willies.

Barry69 · 02/08/2008, 09:08 AM

Last nights results
4 in trap
1 caught by turkey baster
add
3 previously taken out of filter sponge

total thus far = 8

LobsterOfJustice · 02/08/2008, 09:29 AM

Do you have any fish in your tank?

Barry69 · 02/08/2008, 09:54 AM

No, my tank has no fish. I wasnt expecting to get any fish for another 3-4 weeks but this is going to cause havoc with my water, Im sure.

First we'll see how long it takes me to get these buggers then I'll work on getting my water back to where it should be. Im trying to balance both but it isnt easy with all the disruption.

02/06/2008, 09:34 AM	#1
Barry69 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 19	Isopod infestation-now what? Well, I have Isopods. Lots of them all sizes. I got three out of my sponge filter but there are plenty more that come out at night. There is just no way Im going to catch them all. Is it possible to put put live rock in non-salt water and see if the bugs scatter out and maybe die? If so, how long can that safely be done? I just dont know what to do. I feel like this is a death sentence to my tank. Someone suggested a Copperband Butterfly fish but I don't see anything where they will eat isopods, only brine shrimp. Any help is appreciated. I had a hard time getting good pics, even on my camera's macro setting but I have no doubt of what they are. They are clearly isopods.

02/06/2008, 12:07 PM	#5
Anemone Cloning Around Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Valencia, California Posts: 25,267	Yes, you really need to determine the type of isopods in your tank. Most are not problematic. Kevin __________________ Back in the pool, swimming with the sharks... Current Tank Info: Red Sea 425XL w/Kessil AP700, Vertex 180i Skimmer, 2 x Vortech MP40s

02/06/2008, 01:37 PM	#6
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	If you are catching them in a sponge, they are likely okay (not necessarily though). Have you observed them on your fish? __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

02/06/2008, 06:24 PM	#7
useskaforevil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: kent, ohio Posts: 1,012	i would bet that if you had a major infestion of bad isopods it would be too late to help your fish. __________________ "and the delicate mechanism stripped its gears" Current Tank Info: 80gallon bowfront

02/06/2008, 09:18 PM	#9
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	Do they look like this? These are good harmless amphipods.: Bad isopods usually attach to fish, and have black eyes, like this: __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

02/06/2008, 11:00 AM	#2
Blindmelonbob Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Arkansas, USA Posts: 662	Is this a joke? :/ If not, isopods are a good thing.

02/06/2008, 11:19 AM	#4
Blindmelonbob Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Arkansas, USA Posts: 662	Are we talking cirolanid isopods?

02/06/2008, 09:14 PM	#8
Drake1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: lakeville,mn Posts: 530	they make a great snack for almost all fish, if they were the bad type then your fish would already be sick...look to see if any are hanging off the sides of your fish at night to see if there the bad type jeff

02/06/2008, 09:24 PM	#10
rbursek Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: germantown,wi Posts: 2,339	Nice pics, get a canavore fish. Bob

02/06/2008, 09:42 PM	#11
jman77 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 2,391	do they look like any of these ?

02/06/2008, 09:44 PM	#12
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	LOL, I tried to pick the least gross picture from the google image search...you clearly went the other direction __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

02/06/2008, 09:52 PM	#13
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	OMG those make me shudder. Barry69 -- do they have big, black eyes? Are any attached to the fish? As people said, most isopods are fine and just make up part of the mix of 'pods' in our tanks; isopods, amphipods and copepods are all 'pods', and most that show up in our reefs fall under the category of fish snack. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

02/07/2008, 08:01 AM	#14
dendro982 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 2,963	If small, like this: wrasse takes care of it in two days. Scutter dragonet should help, but later you will have to feed it. Neon goby may help, as I had read, but not tried.

02/07/2008, 08:29 AM	#15
jeffbrig Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 5,548	I've been down the cirolanid route as well, and was able to rid my tank of them. There are many different species. Some are simply scavengers, some are parasites that feed on live fish, others will do either. I noticed mine before I started adding fish to the tank. I knew they were scavengers, but I didn't know if they would harm my fish. I set a simple trap - a tall glass with some shrimp in the bottom. At night, they would swim into the trap to eat the shrimp. I pulled them out 5-10 at a time at night. Eventually the numbers started dwindling, and I stopped when I didn't see any after the trap spent 24 hours in the tank. I repeated a few weeks later, and still nothing. Haven't seen any signs of them since. __________________ Beware the power of stupid people in large groups..... Current Tank Info: formerly 250g room divider

02/07/2008, 05:28 PM	#16
Untamed12 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,578	I also successfully did battle with ciranolid isopods. I first identified them because they were often still attached to my fish first thing in the morning. (they are nocturnal) I set baited traps built from 500 ml plastic soda bottles. Cut the top 1/3 of the bottle off and invert the top into the bottom. Drill a ciranolid sized hole in the cap. Add some shrimp bits and some weight to hold the bottle down. Put the bottle(s) in the tank just before lights out and go to bed. In the morning remove the bottles along with your captured victims. It is VERY effective and wonderful in that the only creatures that can get into the bottles seem to free-swimming ciranolids. Repeat until you stop catching them.

02/07/2008, 05:52 PM	#17
Barry69 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 19	Sorry it has taken me so long to reply. My tank is only 4 weeks old so there are no fish. I have 3 Astrea Snails, 1 Peppermint shrimp, 2 Hermit Crabs and a couple of brittle starfish that were hitchhikers. So far, none of the invertabrates have been affected. I have been reading some articles on isopods and there is nothing that has been proven to eat them that can be held in a tank such as mine. Yes, the isopods have black eyes and the blunted tails. They will curl up also. And are they ever fast! Thanks for the ideas with the shrimp! Im definately going to try that. It gives me hope! Here are a couple of pics...sorry, I tried to get better ones but this is the best I could do...

02/07/2008, 11:10 PM	#18
Drake1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: lakeville,mn Posts: 530	well they need fish to live, don't add fish for 4 months and they will all be dead jeff

02/07/2008, 11:11 PM	#19
Drake1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: lakeville,mn Posts: 530	I'm sorry I should say breed, there life span is around 3 months so 4 months is a safe bet

02/07/2008, 11:25 PM	#20
Barry69 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 19	I took Untamed12's suggestion and built a trap. I looked in and the first 2 hours there are 3 in there! I'll keep doing this and maybe this will be my tanks saving grace! Thanks for everyones suggestions!

02/07/2008, 11:44 PM	#21
LockeOak Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 839	Wow, this is one of the first times I've seen someone freaking out about isopods in their tank and they actually have what appear to be parasitic isopods in their tank (instead of amphipods, nonparasitic isopods, etc.). Good luck with them, the trap idea is a good one. If you wouldn't mind periodically updating this post with your capture counts it might be educational.

02/08/2008, 06:35 AM	#22
danceswithfish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: BC Canada Posts: 491	Those things give the me the willies. __________________ Click on my name, "danceswithfish" then click on "visit danaceswithfish's homepage!" to see my 90g build!

02/08/2008, 09:08 AM	#23
Barry69 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 19	Last nights results 4 in trap 1 caught by turkey baster add 3 previously taken out of filter sponge total thus far = 8

02/08/2008, 09:29 AM	#24
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Do you have any fish in your tank? __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

02/08/2008, 09:54 AM	#25
Barry69 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 19	No, my tank has no fish. I wasnt expecting to get any fish for another 3-4 weeks but this is going to cause havoc with my water, Im sure. First we'll see how long it takes me to get these buggers then I'll work on getting my water back to where it should be. Im trying to balance both but it isnt easy with all the disruption.