Help Please. Tiny White Bugs!

FinalMac · 02/26/2014, 09:06 PM

Hello,

I am fairly new to saltwater. I have only had a tank set-up since last February. Learning as I go. I searched the forums but I couldn't find anything that matched exactly what I have happening. I have a problem with what appears to be hundreds if not thousands of little white bugs. I don't know if they are good or bad and how to get rid of them. I bought an emerald crab a week ago. It wouldn't come out of a piece of rock at the LFS so I bought both. I quarantined him hoping he would come out. After a couple days I lost patience and stuck the rock in. The good news is, I have seen him crawling around in the sand. Bad news is the bugs everywhere. They appear to swim, crawl on the glass and they are on the rock. This is the only change since Christmas. Any advice would be great!

ReneeF · 02/26/2014, 09:27 PM

Very hard to see from the pics. Maybe pods? If so just get a pod eating fish. Let's see what others think...

MARINECRITTERS · 02/26/2014, 09:29 PM

I imagine copepods, very common in new tanks. They are harmless, even beneficial.

ReefNate · 02/26/2014, 09:31 PM

I would guess amphipods, and copepods. Do they look like a bunch of little fleas?

Fishyoga · 02/26/2014, 09:36 PM

Also look at your rocks carefully, see if you can see little things that look vaguely like tiny shrimp or lobster shape.
If so, yes, they are all 'pods'. I have tons of them in my tank. The smallest ones (look like tiny white bugs) I see most often on my glass. The bigger ones (up almost 1/4" long) I seen scrounging in the rock, and even tunneling through my sand bed.
The Carpenter Wrasse I just picked up is feasting nicely on the ones on my tank walls.!

FinalMac · 02/26/2014, 10:15 PM

Thanks for the help! They are all very small. I don't see any that looks shrimp or lobster like. And yes! They look like fleas only white! Will the population reduce or do I need something that eats them?

Crooked Reef · 02/26/2014, 11:42 PM

The population is self limiting depending on its food source, they will dwindle with time. Also many fish will eat them. They are beneficial.

FinalMac · 02/27/2014, 07:53 AM

They seem to only come out when the black lights are on or the lights are out. When the high intensity lights came on, they went away.

Cymonous · 02/27/2014, 07:58 AM

I love hearing people freak out when they see a ton of pods overtaking their tank.

They are out and they are there all of the time. You just can't see them as well with the higher intensity lighting.

Pokahpolice · 02/27/2014, 08:03 AM

This is a good thing. Start adding some more life to the tank. Many things that we like to keep require pods to keep them healthy. Any time we set up a new tank the goal is to get this life growing for a balanced system.

FinalMac · 02/27/2014, 08:15 AM

Any ideas of what I can add that will eat them? Just amazing at how many there are night. Must be thousands.

Crooked Reef · 02/27/2014, 08:36 AM

What size tank and do you have a sump? If so what is in it?

dkeller_nc · 02/27/2014, 08:38 AM

Just about any wrasse will annihilate the population. Anthias will also eat them. So will dragonets, pipefishes and seahorses, but don't be tempted to get one of those. The first two choices will eat the pods, and will also eat just about any food that you offer. Choices 3, 4 and 5 will eat pods, but may also refuse to eat prepared fish food, and starve once the pods run out.

FinalMac · 02/27/2014, 08:42 AM

I have a 20 gallon with a 10 gallon sump. In the tank I have 2 clown fish anemone and a variety of inverts. In the sump I have deep. Sand bed section with live rock and macro algae.

FinalMac · 02/27/2014, 08:44 AM

I had a wrasse 8 months ago. He wouldn't eat anything. :-(

dkeller_nc · 02/27/2014, 08:50 AM

What sort of wrasse? There are a few that can be very difficult to keep (leopard wrasses in particular). But for the nano-sized tank that you have, really the only common wrasse that you could keep would be a six-line, and I wouldn't suggest even that because of your two clownfish. I'd just let the pods be - they don't hurt anything.

joshua.jebe · 02/27/2014, 08:52 AM

pods , and almost any wrasse will eat them, my mandrin goby does decimate the pods quite well as its his primary food source

ReefNate · 02/27/2014, 08:55 AM

My ruby red dragonet keeps my population in check! cool little fish to watch hunt for pods

FinalMac · 02/27/2014, 09:01 AM

He was a six line wrasse. The tank was only 3 or 4 months old then. I have a lawnmower blenny, peppermint shrimp, a Sebae and a long Tentacle anemonie, an emerald crab, red and blue leg hermits, 3 different species of snails, some cucumbers and a chocolate chip starfish for CUC. not sure if they had anything to do with his demise. I found him in lots of pieces one morning.

02/26/2014, 09:29 PM	#3
MARINECRITTERS Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1,525	I imagine copepods, very common in new tanks. They are harmless, even beneficial. __________________ MarineCritters, life in the sea is superb Current Tank Info: 91 Gallon Reef

02/26/2014, 09:36 PM	#5
Fishyoga Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Alberta Posts: 136	Also look at your rocks carefully, see if you can see little things that look vaguely like tiny shrimp or lobster shape. If so, yes, they are all 'pods'. I have tons of them in my tank. The smallest ones (look like tiny white bugs) I see most often on my glass. The bigger ones (up almost 1/4" long) I seen scrounging in the rock, and even tunneling through my sand bed. The Carpenter Wrasse I just picked up is feasting nicely on the ones on my tank walls.! __________________ 55 gallon, high output 4-lamp t5 fixture (actinic, purple, 2x white), 2 Ocellaris (Orange Peel, and Beedy), Yellow Watchman Goby (Yellow Dog), Diamond Goby (Donkey), Long Tentacle Anemone (Nebula), Sa Current Tank Info: 55 gal

02/27/2014, 07:58 AM	#9
Cymonous My Clown Attacks Me Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,105	I love hearing people freak out when they see a ton of pods overtaking their tank. They are out and they are there all of the time. You just can't see them as well with the higher intensity lighting. __________________ 100 Gallon Long with 20L sump 10 Gallon Office Tank Current Tank Info: 2 False Percula Clowns, One Spot Foxface, Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Tail Damsel, Engineer Goby

02/26/2014, 09:27 PM	#2
ReneeF Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Boise Posts: 155	Very hard to see from the pics. Maybe pods? If so just get a pod eating fish. Let's see what others think...

02/26/2014, 09:31 PM	#4
ReefNate Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 45	I would guess amphipods, and copepods. Do they look like a bunch of little fleas?

02/26/2014, 10:15 PM	#6
FinalMac Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 7	Thanks for the help! They are all very small. I don't see any that looks shrimp or lobster like. And yes! They look like fleas only white! Will the population reduce or do I need something that eats them?

02/26/2014, 11:42 PM	#7
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	The population is self limiting depending on its food source, they will dwindle with time. Also many fish will eat them. They are beneficial.

02/27/2014, 07:53 AM	#8
FinalMac Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 7	They seem to only come out when the black lights are on or the lights are out. When the high intensity lights came on, they went away.

02/27/2014, 08:03 AM	#10
Pokahpolice Moved On Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 114	This is a good thing. Start adding some more life to the tank. Many things that we like to keep require pods to keep them healthy. Any time we set up a new tank the goal is to get this life growing for a balanced system.

02/27/2014, 08:15 AM	#11
FinalMac Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 7	Any ideas of what I can add that will eat them? Just amazing at how many there are night. Must be thousands.

02/27/2014, 08:36 AM	#12
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	What size tank and do you have a sump? If so what is in it?

02/27/2014, 08:38 AM	#13
dkeller_nc Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Central NC Posts: 5,062	Just about any wrasse will annihilate the population. Anthias will also eat them. So will dragonets, pipefishes and seahorses, but don't be tempted to get one of those. The first two choices will eat the pods, and will also eat just about any food that you offer. Choices 3, 4 and 5 will eat pods, but may also refuse to eat prepared fish food, and starve once the pods run out.

02/27/2014, 08:42 AM	#14
FinalMac Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 7	I have a 20 gallon with a 10 gallon sump. In the tank I have 2 clown fish anemone and a variety of inverts. In the sump I have deep. Sand bed section with live rock and macro algae.

02/27/2014, 08:44 AM	#15
FinalMac Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 7	I had a wrasse 8 months ago. He wouldn't eat anything. :-(

02/27/2014, 08:50 AM	#16
dkeller_nc Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Central NC Posts: 5,062	What sort of wrasse? There are a few that can be very difficult to keep (leopard wrasses in particular). But for the nano-sized tank that you have, really the only common wrasse that you could keep would be a six-line, and I wouldn't suggest even that because of your two clownfish. I'd just let the pods be - they don't hurt anything.

02/27/2014, 08:52 AM	#17
joshua.jebe Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 50	pods , and almost any wrasse will eat them, my mandrin goby does decimate the pods quite well as its his primary food source

02/27/2014, 08:55 AM	#18
ReefNate Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 45	My ruby red dragonet keeps my population in check! cool little fish to watch hunt for pods

02/27/2014, 09:01 AM	#19
FinalMac Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 7	He was a six line wrasse. The tank was only 3 or 4 months old then. I have a lawnmower blenny, peppermint shrimp, a Sebae and a long Tentacle anemonie, an emerald crab, red and blue leg hermits, 3 different species of snails, some cucumbers and a chocolate chip starfish for CUC. not sure if they had anything to do with his demise. I found him in lots of pieces one morning.