What do copepods look like?

8mpg · 08/09/2010, 02:58 PM

I cant for the life of me find a picture that really shows them in a tank. Most of the pics I have seen are zoomed in under a microscope or something. My tank has some cheato that has grown out of control. The only thing I can really find in it is detritus I believe. If I shake the macro tons and tons of little specs some out...Im guessing that its detritus. Are they pods? Tank has been going for 8 years or so with no mandarins or wrasses. Have a Mandarin coming tomorrow in teh mail along with some mail order pods.

rwb500 · 08/09/2010, 03:01 PM

theyre probably not as small as you think. just pick a little pile of rubble or anywhere where there might be pods in your tank and press your face against the glass and just stare for a few seconds. you should see some. about 1-2mm long.

8mpg · 08/09/2010, 03:10 PM

Just worried about feeding supply. Might setup a 2gal culture tank for them. Just need to get some local phyto

Toddrtrex · 08/09/2010, 03:10 PM

Here are a few pictures of some of my "pods"

Closer,

8mpg · 08/09/2010, 03:13 PM

Thanks Todd... not seeing any of those in the tank. Guess I better setup a culture tank for the ones I ordered.

Ethan_W · 08/09/2010, 03:18 PM

i actually finally saw mine last night when i flipped on the light at 2am (the tank is at a friends house so i dont ever get to do this) and they look exactly like the ones in the first 2 pics todd posted. and they all flipped over onto their backs when the lights came on.

there are other little creatures that basically look like clear fleas, maybe a little smaller, that climb on the rocks day and night. my mandarin gobbles them up so i assumed they were pods

Sisterlimonpot · 08/09/2010, 03:26 PM

What Todd is showing is Amphipods (1st pic) and isopods (2nd pic).
Copepods are very tiny dots, they are very hard to see with the naked eye (not impossible) If you're tank has been running for 8 years chances are you have an abundance of them, you just can't see them.

clownfishheaven · 08/09/2010, 03:32 PM

Those in the first two pics are huge!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toddrtrex

Here are a few pictures of some of my "pods"

Closer,

d0ughb0y · 08/09/2010, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sisterlimonpot

What Todd is showing is Amphipods (1st pic) and isopods (2nd pic).
Copepods are very tiny dots, they are very hard to see with the naked eye (not impossible) If you're tank has been running for 8 years chances are you have an abundance of them, you just can't see them.

that sound like my lfs, selling me a bottle of "copepods". he says they are in there, but you just can't see them.

for all I know he could just be selling a bottle of saltwater.

8mpg · 08/09/2010, 03:45 PM

The tank has been up and running 8 years... 55gal w/ 29gal sump (actually 20 gal of water or so) and 120lbs of live rock. Granted...the tank was neglected over the years. I shook out and threw away the old cheato (didnt look health...turning brown) and will be starting with fresh.

The new copepods will be going into a 2gallon pretzel container

Going to tray and grow them for a couple months until Im sure I have a good population to grow in the sump.

08/09/2010, 02:58 PM	#1
8mpg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 275	What do copepods look like? I cant for the life of me find a picture that really shows them in a tank. Most of the pics I have seen are zoomed in under a microscope or something. My tank has some cheato that has grown out of control. The only thing I can really find in it is detritus I believe. If I shake the macro tons and tons of little specs some out...Im guessing that its detritus. Are they pods? Tank has been going for 8 years or so with no mandarins or wrasses. Have a Mandarin coming tomorrow in teh mail along with some mail order pods.

08/09/2010, 03:10 PM	#4
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	Here are a few pictures of some of my "pods" Closer, __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

08/09/2010, 03:18 PM	#6
Ethan_W Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 373	i actually finally saw mine last night when i flipped on the light at 2am (the tank is at a friends house so i dont ever get to do this) and they look exactly like the ones in the first 2 pics todd posted. and they all flipped over onto their backs when the lights came on. there are other little creatures that basically look like clear fleas, maybe a little smaller, that climb on the rocks day and night. my mandarin gobbles them up so i assumed they were pods __________________ 29g mixed reef - Filtration: modded AC70 refugium/AquaticLife Mini Skimmer 115 Lighting:4x24" T5HO ATI bulbs Flow: Koralia Evolution 750 Ammonia:0 Nitrite:0 Nitrate:>5 pH:8.1 SG:1.026 Livestock: 2 true perc clowns, firefish, scooter blenny, yellow coris wrasse, harlequin shrimp, acan, brain, frogspawn, Z's and P's, few SPS, etc

08/09/2010, 03:26 PM	#7
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	What Todd is showing is Amphipods (1st pic) and isopods (2nd pic). Copepods are very tiny dots, they are very hard to see with the naked eye (not impossible) If you're tank has been running for 8 years chances are you have an abundance of them, you just can't see them. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Copepods or not copepods? Tis the question	luconi	Other Invertebrates	4	07/01/2010 06:44 PM
WTB Live Brine Shrimp/Amphi/Copepods	krazedkazoo	Tampa Bay Reef Club	2	06/13/2010 11:55 AM
Protecting Zoas From Amphipods While Not Hurting Copepods	CalmSeasQuest	Reef Discussion	0	01/06/2010 06:07 AM
Can Copepods look like Ich?	fuzzygroove	Fish Disease Treatment	1	11/07/2009 07:19 AM
For the longest time ever, I thought this Section of the board was titled Copepods.	Tha Sultant	Cephalopods	5	03/24/2002 12:42 PM

08/09/2010, 03:01 PM	#2
rwb500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Atlanta Posts: 1,694	theyre probably not as small as you think. just pick a little pile of rubble or anywhere where there might be pods in your tank and press your face against the glass and just stare for a few seconds. you should see some. about 1-2mm long.

08/09/2010, 03:13 PM	#5
8mpg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 275	Thanks Todd... not seeing any of those in the tank. Guess I better setup a culture tank for the ones I ordered.

08/09/2010, 03:45 PM	#10
8mpg Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 275	The tank has been up and running 8 years... 55gal w/ 29gal sump (actually 20 gal of water or so) and 120lbs of live rock. Granted...the tank was neglected over the years. I shook out and threw away the old cheato (didnt look health...turning brown) and will be starting with fresh. The new copepods will be going into a 2gallon pretzel container Going to tray and grow them for a couple months until Im sure I have a good population to grow in the sump.