Good or bad Isopod?

Fanof49ASU · 01/02/2007, 09:28 PM

I'm a little worried. I'm seeing more of these things than I'd like. It has come from some new live rock that is in a 'holding' tank for my new 75g.
As for my residents, I have a peppermint shrimp and a serpent star.

Any comments welcome.

mcurl98 · 01/02/2007, 10:06 PM

Looks like a sphaeromatid (harmless) as opposed to a cirolanid (harmful). I had lots of sphaeromatid before I got a wrasse. Now they are all but gone. Here is a good article with pics/drawings of both.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/rs/index.php

Fanof49ASU · 01/02/2007, 10:16 PM

Mcurl.....you've given me hope. I've read that link, but it's good to have a second opinion.

Thanks!

lllosingit · 01/02/2007, 10:59 PM

Scroll down part way thru This article and you'll see a picture of the Cirolanid isopod I caught snacking on my True Percula Clownfish.
looks very close to me.

mcurl98 · 01/02/2007, 11:32 PM

I'm no pro so I'd continue to get opinions before I added the rock to my tank. In looking at figure 3 in the article, I am not positive.

Fanof49ASU · 01/03/2007, 08:21 AM

The eyes on the Cirolanid look much larger than the one I found, but I'm still reading on this.

I'm trying to find out if they must have blood to live. If so, I'll just wait them out. I'm not in any hurry to add this rock. But I do have 2 critters in that tank that I feed, and I've noticed the isopods going to the food (emerald entreÃ©) and eating. I'm not sure a carnivore would find this frozen food appealing......I could be wrong.

I've also seen them under the white lights.....which I've read they avoid.

mcurl98 · 01/03/2007, 09:51 AM

I thought the eyes looked larger on the Cirolanids as well. I'm used to seeing them, at a distance, in my tank. It is a little different looking at such a close up picture. When I look at them in my tank the eyes are not readily discernable unless I take a real close look.

Paintbug · 01/03/2007, 11:17 AM

looks like a cirolanid isopod to me. you cant go by the eye size alone. heres a few drawing of others.
http://tolweb.org/tree/eukaryotes/an...caplate07.html

roons · 01/03/2007, 07:17 PM

send him packing

2swift · 01/03/2007, 07:22 PM

This is the bad bug .

LeslieH · 01/04/2007, 12:01 AM

It's a cirolanid, not a sphaeromatid, and probably parasitic. Incidentally, even the small ones can deliver a nasty bite.

Fanof49ASU · 01/04/2007, 06:53 AM

Thanks for further confirmations.

msman825 · 01/04/2007, 09:15 AM

WOW. That's kinda wild those eatting that clownfish

DevilBoy · 01/13/2007, 04:24 PM

this is alittle scary since i found one of these myself, and can not catch it. My tank has been fallow since October and i just one again last night. If it was the Cirolanid would of it died off by now due to lack of food source?

01/02/2007, 09:28 PM	#1
Fanof49ASU Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1,154	Good or bad Isopod? I'm a little worried. I'm seeing more of these things than I'd like. It has come from some new live rock that is in a 'holding' tank for my new 75g. As for my residents, I have a peppermint shrimp and a serpent star. Any comments welcome.

01/02/2007, 10:06 PM	#2
mcurl98 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: san jose, ca Posts: 615	Looks like a sphaeromatid (harmless) as opposed to a cirolanid (harmful). I had lots of sphaeromatid before I got a wrasse. Now they are all but gone. Here is a good article with pics/drawings of both. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/rs/index.php __________________ -Matt Current Tank Info: tankless

01/02/2007, 10:59 PM	#4
lllosingit Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Des Moines Iowa Posts: 3,190	Scroll down part way thru This article and you'll see a picture of the Cirolanid isopod I caught snacking on my True Percula Clownfish. looks very close to me. __________________ It Was Funny Until Someone Got Hurt..........Then It Was Hilarious! Current Tank Info: DD 250 60x36x27 450 gallon total system.

01/02/2007, 11:32 PM	#5
mcurl98 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: san jose, ca Posts: 615	I'm no pro so I'd continue to get opinions before I added the rock to my tank. In looking at figure 3 in the article, I am not positive. __________________ -Matt Current Tank Info: tankless

01/03/2007, 09:51 AM	#7
mcurl98 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: san jose, ca Posts: 615	I thought the eyes looked larger on the Cirolanids as well. I'm used to seeing them, at a distance, in my tank. It is a little different looking at such a close up picture. When I look at them in my tank the eyes are not readily discernable unless I take a real close look. __________________ -Matt Current Tank Info: tankless

01/02/2007, 10:16 PM	#3
Fanof49ASU Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1,154	Mcurl.....you've given me hope. I've read that link, but it's good to have a second opinion. Thanks!

01/03/2007, 08:21 AM	#6
Fanof49ASU Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1,154	The eyes on the Cirolanid look much larger than the one I found, but I'm still reading on this. I'm trying to find out if they must have blood to live. If so, I'll just wait them out. I'm not in any hurry to add this rock. But I do have 2 critters in that tank that I feed, and I've noticed the isopods going to the food (emerald entreÃ©) and eating. I'm not sure a carnivore would find this frozen food appealing......I could be wrong. I've also seen them under the white lights.....which I've read they avoid.

01/03/2007, 11:17 AM	#8
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	looks like a cirolanid isopod to me. you cant go by the eye size alone. heres a few drawing of others. http://tolweb.org/tree/eukaryotes/an...caplate07.html __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

01/03/2007, 07:17 PM	#9
roons Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: saugerties ,ny Posts: 1,240	send him packing

01/03/2007, 07:22 PM	#10
2swift Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Ruskin,FLA Posts: 876	This is the bad bug . __________________ Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Current Tank Info: 150g with twin FX4 canisters-Jebao 90Wave maker-2 AQUASKY Fluval Lights-AquaMaxx TS-2 Sulfur Denitrator

01/04/2007, 12:01 AM	#11
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	It's a cirolanid, not a sphaeromatid, and probably parasitic. Incidentally, even the small ones can deliver a nasty bite. __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

01/04/2007, 06:53 AM	#12
Fanof49ASU Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1,154	Thanks for further confirmations.

01/04/2007, 09:15 AM	#13
msman825 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: maine Posts: 1,301	WOW. That's kinda wild those eatting that clownfish __________________ MSMAN

01/13/2007, 04:24 PM	#14
DevilBoy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Wooster, Ohio Posts: 1,724	this is alittle scary since i found one of these myself, and can not catch it. My tank has been fallow since October and i just one again last night. If it was the Cirolanid would of it died off by now due to lack of food source?