Not sure if this is normal

cartouche · 10/11/2006, 09:01 AM

My 125g reef tanks is going along very well, no major dramas's and all live stock apears fine.

Livestock includes a mixture of soft corals,
hermies, snails, sand snail, red nobbly star

pair of percs
yellow tang
lawnmower
banan wrasse mandarin
majestic angel
mandarin

we have approx 60 Kilos of LR.

When the lights switch off I used to observe the brisstle worms going about their business, I don't like the room lights too bright when the tank lights are off. The other night I wanted to see something in the tank at night so I turned the room lights right up.

I was amazed, not only were their brissle worms but the amount of criter life (brine size) and tiny insect size thing all over the rocks and sand was truely amazing. It certainly wasn't an out of control 'swarm' but look kinda normal although I had never seen this before.

Is this a good/bad thing? Good for a mandarins I would think and prolly a copperband.. its amazing how it all dissapears when the lights go on...gone without a trace.

Shagsbeard · 10/11/2006, 09:07 AM

The insect like things are tiny crustacians called copapods (or copepods.... I never could get the hand of spelling). These are about the only thing that your mandarin will eat, so its a good thing you have a lot of them. Your bristle worms are a good thing too... detrivores, meaning they eat left overs and fish poop. Sounds like you have a very healthy tank.

How long has it been running? And can we get pictures? We love pictures.

MichaelMichelson · 10/11/2006, 09:27 AM

Shagsbeard is right, they are copepods. They are probably the only thing that your madarin will eat, in the long run. That's why sleeper goby's and mandarin's die if kept in too small of a tank, they eat all of the available copepods before they have time to replace themselves.

cartouche · 10/11/2006, 10:11 AM

I will see if I can get some pictures, my camera is really rubbish!

So what happens to all this life when the lights come on, I assume they head for the rock crevices or bury themselves in the sand?

I'd love to have a copperband but thats probably pushing it too far... as far as the pods are concerned!

The tank has been up for nearly a year now and I adopt a policy of doing everything properly and getting the best 'whatever' I can afford.

The majestic made me nervous when I bought him but he's doing just fine and eating well, he is bar far my biggest challenge.

10/11/2006, 09:01 AM	#1
cartouche Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: camberley uk Posts: 209	Not sure if this is normal My 125g reef tanks is going along very well, no major dramas's and all live stock apears fine. Livestock includes a mixture of soft corals, hermies, snails, sand snail, red nobbly star pair of percs yellow tang lawnmower banan wrasse mandarin majestic angel mandarin we have approx 60 Kilos of LR. When the lights switch off I used to observe the brisstle worms going about their business, I don't like the room lights too bright when the tank lights are off. The other night I wanted to see something in the tank at night so I turned the room lights right up. I was amazed, not only were their brissle worms but the amount of criter life (brine size) and tiny insect size thing all over the rocks and sand was truely amazing. It certainly wasn't an out of control 'swarm' but look kinda normal although I had never seen this before. Is this a good/bad thing? Good for a mandarins I would think and prolly a copperband.. its amazing how it all dissapears when the lights go on...gone without a trace.

10/11/2006, 09:27 AM	#3
MichaelMichelson Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota Posts: 73	Shagsbeard is right, they are copepods. They are probably the only thing that your madarin will eat, in the long run. That's why sleeper goby's and mandarin's die if kept in too small of a tank, they eat all of the available copepods before they have time to replace themselves. __________________ Michael Michelson Current Tank Info: 55g salt FOWLR, 260 w compact fluorescent, 37g sump/refugium

10/11/2006, 09:07 AM	#2
Shagsbeard Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Morro Bay, CA Posts: 2,143	The insect like things are tiny crustacians called copapods (or copepods.... I never could get the hand of spelling). These are about the only thing that your mandarin will eat, so its a good thing you have a lot of them. Your bristle worms are a good thing too... detrivores, meaning they eat left overs and fish poop. Sounds like you have a very healthy tank. How long has it been running? And can we get pictures? We love pictures.

10/11/2006, 10:11 AM	#4
cartouche Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: camberley uk Posts: 209	I will see if I can get some pictures, my camera is really rubbish! So what happens to all this life when the lights come on, I assume they head for the rock crevices or bury themselves in the sand? I'd love to have a copperband but thats probably pushing it too far... as far as the pods are concerned! The tank has been up for nearly a year now and I adopt a policy of doing everything properly and getting the best 'whatever' I can afford. The majestic made me nervous when I bought him but he's doing just fine and eating well, he is bar far my biggest challenge.