Challenge: can you ID a pod without a pic?

fatoldsun · 06/21/2011, 10:56 PM

I have some sort of pod that popped on the glass of my fuge. These are tiny but there are a lot of them. My guess is that they are some type of isopod so that narrows it down to about 5000. And of course some (on the unusual side) are bad for the fish. I tried desperately to get a pic but no luck. So I'll give the best description I can. They're opaque or white and mostly transparent. The largest is maybe 0.5 mm. They are all over the glass grazing on algae. They sort of look like (don't laugh) PacMan ghosts both in shape and how the slither around on the glass. They don't seem to be disturbed at all by light and they haven't moved much at all. I noticed them by the hundreds about 10 minutes after adding a CUC to the DT and none of the LFS water made it into the tank. 3 margaritas and 3 ceirths went in the fuge but still no water. So they've been there for at least 5 days. Tanks been up a couple months. DT has a yellow tang and a maroon gold stripe clown. Neither seem bothered. So??? Any thoughts. Anyone know of a good resource? Like a photo encyclopedia of reef pods? I wish I could get a pic. Thanks for looking...
Dave

disc1 · 06/21/2011, 11:27 PM

If it's not this one then there's no need to worry. The cirolanid isopod is the main bad guy. Note the crazy looking eyes. Google it for more pics. They're pretty unmistakable.

csmfish · 06/22/2011, 06:18 AM

If you have hundreds of them, I doubt you got them from the LFS. Sounds like they have been there a while. Yea, will definitely have to get a pic of them to give you an exact.

fatoldsun · 06/22/2011, 07:34 AM

Definitely not a lobster tail with eyes looking creature and based on the pic with the dime those are much larger. What i have are really hard to see with the naked eye. I guess these could be juveniles. I don't think a pic will be possible with the camera I have. I think my dad may have a microscope I can borrow but my guess is it still won't allow for a pic

csmfish · 06/22/2011, 08:07 AM

Sounds like a copepod. Does it look kind of ant like?

fatoldsun · 06/22/2011, 08:21 AM

No, no legs or appendages. If you think of the PacMan ghost, they sort of move head first and the shape is like an oval with the bottom ripped off. They are somewhat the shape of a cirolanid but much much smaller, no clear "eye sockets" and they seem to move more fluidly almost like a slither. I'm shopping on craigslist for a microscope. Guess that may be useful to have anyway. I'll post pics if I can get them. Meantime my search for pics online continues. Let me know if you can think of any other sites. Thanks as always!

disc1 · 06/22/2011, 08:30 AM

If it doesn't look like the pic above, I wouldn't put too much worry into getting an ID.

fatoldsun · 06/22/2011, 09:28 AM

Might be a convotriloba flatworm. At least that's close

I guess I should add that I have what I assume are copepods buzzing around these guys on the glass so they are in addition to the mystery guests. The copepods look like little white fleas, about 1/5th the size of the mystery worm/pod

dublo8 · 06/22/2011, 09:32 AM

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchpods.html

csmfish · 06/22/2011, 10:02 AM

Sounds like a flat worm if they look like pacman

fatoldsun · 06/22/2011, 10:05 AM

Assuming it is a flatworm (and not red) what type of impact should I anticipate?

fatoldsun · 06/22/2011, 03:06 PM

I guess this settles that they're flatworms

So the question is... Good or Bad?

06/21/2011, 10:56 PM	#1
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	Challenge: can you ID a pod without a pic? I have some sort of pod that popped on the glass of my fuge. These are tiny but there are a lot of them. My guess is that they are some type of isopod so that narrows it down to about 5000. And of course some (on the unusual side) are bad for the fish. I tried desperately to get a pic but no luck. So I'll give the best description I can. They're opaque or white and mostly transparent. The largest is maybe 0.5 mm. They are all over the glass grazing on algae. They sort of look like (don't laugh) PacMan ghosts both in shape and how the slither around on the glass. They don't seem to be disturbed at all by light and they haven't moved much at all. I noticed them by the hundreds about 10 minutes after adding a CUC to the DT and none of the LFS water made it into the tank. 3 margaritas and 3 ceirths went in the fuge but still no water. So they've been there for at least 5 days. Tanks been up a couple months. DT has a yellow tang and a maroon gold stripe clown. Neither seem bothered. So??? Any thoughts. Anyone know of a good resource? Like a photo encyclopedia of reef pods? I wish I could get a pic. Thanks for looking... Dave

06/21/2011, 11:27 PM	#2
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	If it's not this one then there's no need to worry. The cirolanid isopod is the main bad guy. Note the crazy looking eyes. Google it for more pics. They're pretty unmistakable. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

06/22/2011, 08:21 AM	#6
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	No, no legs or appendages. If you think of the PacMan ghost, they sort of move head first and the shape is like an oval with the bottom ripped off. They are somewhat the shape of a cirolanid but much much smaller, no clear "eye sockets" and they seem to move more fluidly almost like a slither. I'm shopping on craigslist for a microscope. Guess that may be useful to have anyway. I'll post pics if I can get them. Meantime my search for pics online continues. Let me know if you can think of any other sites. Thanks as always! Last edited by fatoldsun; 06/22/2011 at 08:34 AM.

06/22/2011, 08:30 AM	#7
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	If it doesn't look like the pic above, I wouldn't put too much worry into getting an ID. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

06/22/2011, 09:32 AM	#9
dublo8 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morgan Hill, Ca Posts: 3,225	http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchpods.html __________________ 10g IM fusion. Zoa and SPS dominant, Apex monitored, Ai Prime, MP10, sicce return.

06/22/2011, 06:18 AM	#3
csmfish Moved On Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: VA Posts: 1,055	If you have hundreds of them, I doubt you got them from the LFS. Sounds like they have been there a while. Yea, will definitely have to get a pic of them to give you an exact.

06/22/2011, 07:34 AM	#4
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	Definitely not a lobster tail with eyes looking creature and based on the pic with the dime those are much larger. What i have are really hard to see with the naked eye. I guess these could be juveniles. I don't think a pic will be possible with the camera I have. I think my dad may have a microscope I can borrow but my guess is it still won't allow for a pic

06/22/2011, 08:07 AM	#5
csmfish Moved On Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: VA Posts: 1,055	Sounds like a copepod. Does it look kind of ant like?

06/22/2011, 09:28 AM	#8
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	Might be a convotriloba flatworm. At least that's close I guess I should add that I have what I assume are copepods buzzing around these guys on the glass so they are in addition to the mystery guests. The copepods look like little white fleas, about 1/5th the size of the mystery worm/pod

06/22/2011, 10:02 AM	#10
csmfish Moved On Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: VA Posts: 1,055	Sounds like a flat worm if they look like pacman

06/22/2011, 10:05 AM	#11
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	Assuming it is a flatworm (and not red) what type of impact should I anticipate?

06/22/2011, 03:06 PM	#12
fatoldsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 449	I guess this settles that they're flatworms So the question is... Good or Bad?

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