I think i have Cirolanid Isopods

R.W. · 02/12/2008, 09:30 PM

so i have been watching my glass each night looking at every type of pod swimming in the tank. When my lights are on i can see these little things that look like the star-trek symbol but elongated all over the glass. When i looked on Melev's reef under pods and bugs they look similar to Cirolanid Isopods. But they are very tiny and translucent. I'm wondering if maybe they are babies. The one in the picture is very large compared to these guys who are about 1mm - 1.5mm long.

Here is the link to Melev's Reef Pod Id.
Pod id page

There are no fish in the tank just 5 Mexican turbos, 25 blue legged hermit crabs, and 2 sand sifting conchs.

I cannot take a picture because of their size. Any help with this matter is greatly appreciated. I would like to know what they are because if I'm right, i have to keep it fishless for 2-6 months to have them all die off.

Thanks

Nabob89 · 02/12/2008, 09:38 PM

well I'm no expert on pods, but I've had similar looking guys on my glass for over a year now, and I've never lost a fish...I would trust whatever melev says, however, since he clearly knows what hes talking about, and I could just have a different type of pod in my tank (though they look very similar). If you're worried, you can always try manually removing or killing the ones on the front glass with a scraper of some kind, or just hold off on adding fish for a month or two. HTH,
Matt

capncapo · 02/12/2008, 09:52 PM

I think you have harmless flatworms.

R.W. · 02/12/2008, 10:02 PM

i looked at the flat worm pics and they dont look like what i have. I will draw a picture and post it.

R.W. · 02/12/2008, 10:27 PM

looks like them, but they are clear.

bertoni · 02/12/2008, 10:33 PM

Could be sphaeromatid isopods, although the picture looks like a flatworm to me.

R.W. · 02/12/2008, 11:05 PM

all the flat worms i saw in pics didnt have a tail like that. Do you have a pic of a flat worm liek that? Ive been looking but cant find any. I HOPE ITS FLAT WORMS.

demonsp · 02/12/2008, 11:09 PM

Benign flatworm in melvs looks just like that and clear.

rlm2005 · 02/12/2008, 11:24 PM

The drawing looks like a flat worm to me. I am cycling a new tank and have a few of those on the glass when I first turn on the light.

capncapo · 02/12/2008, 11:26 PM

Are the eyes as visible as your drawing makes them appear to be?

R.W. · 02/12/2008, 11:41 PM

to me the eyes are visible. The benign flatworm doesn't really look like it except for the tail. it looks just like a Cirolanid Isopod but really really tiny and translucent. I just want to make sure i dont mis-diagnose the problem.

capncapo · 02/12/2008, 11:47 PM

I'd be willing to bet that you have harmless flatworms.

IF you have isopods then they are more than likely what bertoni said....sphaeromatid isopods. That particular type of isopod is harmless.

R.W. · 02/12/2008, 11:59 PM

how can i be sure? Should i just wait a while and see how they grow? If they get any bigger, darker etc... But i just find something else.... there were 2 of them. They were floating around in my tank dried up and dead. They look like cocrach bodies but very small. I was thinking maybe they are adult versions of Cirolanid Isopods i will fish them out if i can find them and post a picture.

capncapo · 02/13/2008, 12:04 AM

The eyes of cirolanid isopods are HUGE compared to those of sphaeromatid. From the looks of your picture, the eyes are not big enough to be cirolanids.

You could always put an inexpensive fish in your tank and get up before daylight and look at your fish with a flashlight. If they're cirolanids they'll be on your fish getting for a meal. They normally detach from the fish in the daylight hours.

R.W. · 02/13/2008, 12:13 AM

they also dont swim around the tank from what i have seem so far. I do use a red light to look at my other pod activity at night time. I havent seen these guys swim around.

capncapo · 02/13/2008, 12:15 AM

The ONLY way cirolanids can get a meal is to "catch a fish". They do that by swimming.

Sphaeromatids are more of a grazer.

R.W. · 02/13/2008, 12:18 AM

yeah thats what i was thinking, because i havent seen them swimming around in the water maybe they are just sphaeromatid isopods. I have been looking at pictures and they look very similar. I will have a look tomorrow when the lights come back on.

sanababit · 02/13/2008, 12:22 AM

that thing looks like a ghost from pack man, pinky perhaprs, lol, jk

its a flatworm, most likley

Bremmon · 02/13/2008, 10:05 AM

One thing I noticed in the picture of a Benign Flatworm on Merv's site is that the pictures don't show eyes like the drawing above.

R.W. · 02/13/2008, 02:54 PM

exactly, and i can see eyes on mine. Today i will try to catch one and view it with a magnifying glass or something.

02/12/2008, 09:30 PM	#1
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	I think i have Cirolanid Isopods so i have been watching my glass each night looking at every type of pod swimming in the tank. When my lights are on i can see these little things that look like the star-trek symbol but elongated all over the glass. When i looked on Melev's reef under pods and bugs they look similar to Cirolanid Isopods. But they are very tiny and translucent. I'm wondering if maybe they are babies. The one in the picture is very large compared to these guys who are about 1mm - 1.5mm long. Here is the link to Melev's Reef Pod Id. Pod id page There are no fish in the tank just 5 Mexican turbos, 25 blue legged hermit crabs, and 2 sand sifting conchs. I cannot take a picture because of their size. Any help with this matter is greatly appreciated. I would like to know what they are because if I'm right, i have to keep it fishless for 2-6 months to have them all die off. Thanks

02/12/2008, 09:52 PM	#3
capncapo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Florissant, MO Posts: 4,664	I think you have harmless flatworms. __________________ S.L.A.S.H. ............ Often imitated, never duplicated! Venture forth and enjoy life .... the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. Current Tank Info: Which one?

02/12/2008, 10:02 PM	#4
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	i looked at the flat worm pics and they dont look like what i have. I will draw a picture and post it. __________________ 180g FOWLR "Sun bathing on the floor next to your tank is not, in any way equivalent to spending time outdoors."

02/12/2008, 10:33 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Could be sphaeromatid isopods, although the picture looks like a flatworm to me. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/12/2008, 11:05 PM	#7
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	all the flat worms i saw in pics didnt have a tail like that. Do you have a pic of a flat worm liek that? Ive been looking but cant find any. I HOPE ITS FLAT WORMS. __________________ 180g FOWLR "Sun bathing on the floor next to your tank is not, in any way equivalent to spending time outdoors."

02/12/2008, 09:38 PM	#2
Nabob89 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston Posts: 477	well I'm no expert on pods, but I've had similar looking guys on my glass for over a year now, and I've never lost a fish...I would trust whatever melev says, however, since he clearly knows what hes talking about, and I could just have a different type of pod in my tank (though they look very similar). If you're worried, you can always try manually removing or killing the ones on the front glass with a scraper of some kind, or just hold off on adding fish for a month or two. HTH, Matt

02/12/2008, 10:27 PM	#5
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	looks like them, but they are clear.

02/12/2008, 11:09 PM	#8
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	Benign flatworm in melvs looks just like that and clear.

02/12/2008, 11:24 PM	#9
rlm2005 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: San Diego Area Posts: 432	The drawing looks like a flat worm to me. I am cycling a new tank and have a few of those on the glass when I first turn on the light.

02/12/2008, 11:26 PM	#10
capncapo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Florissant, MO Posts: 4,664	Are the eyes as visible as your drawing makes them appear to be? __________________ S.L.A.S.H. ............ Often imitated, never duplicated! Venture forth and enjoy life .... the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. Current Tank Info: Which one?

02/12/2008, 11:41 PM	#11
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	to me the eyes are visible. The benign flatworm doesn't really look like it except for the tail. it looks just like a Cirolanid Isopod but really really tiny and translucent. I just want to make sure i dont mis-diagnose the problem. __________________ 180g FOWLR "Sun bathing on the floor next to your tank is not, in any way equivalent to spending time outdoors."

02/12/2008, 11:47 PM	#12
capncapo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Florissant, MO Posts: 4,664	I'd be willing to bet that you have harmless flatworms. IF you have isopods then they are more than likely what bertoni said....sphaeromatid isopods. That particular type of isopod is harmless. __________________ S.L.A.S.H. ............ Often imitated, never duplicated! Venture forth and enjoy life .... the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. Current Tank Info: Which one?

02/12/2008, 11:59 PM	#13
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	how can i be sure? Should i just wait a while and see how they grow? If they get any bigger, darker etc... But i just find something else.... there were 2 of them. They were floating around in my tank dried up and dead. They look like cocrach bodies but very small. I was thinking maybe they are adult versions of Cirolanid Isopods i will fish them out if i can find them and post a picture. __________________ 180g FOWLR "Sun bathing on the floor next to your tank is not, in any way equivalent to spending time outdoors."

02/13/2008, 12:04 AM	#14
capncapo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Florissant, MO Posts: 4,664	The eyes of cirolanid isopods are HUGE compared to those of sphaeromatid. From the looks of your picture, the eyes are not big enough to be cirolanids. You could always put an inexpensive fish in your tank and get up before daylight and look at your fish with a flashlight. If they're cirolanids they'll be on your fish getting for a meal. They normally detach from the fish in the daylight hours. __________________ S.L.A.S.H. ............ Often imitated, never duplicated! Venture forth and enjoy life .... the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. Current Tank Info: Which one?

02/13/2008, 12:13 AM	#15
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	they also dont swim around the tank from what i have seem so far. I do use a red light to look at my other pod activity at night time. I havent seen these guys swim around. __________________ 180g FOWLR "Sun bathing on the floor next to your tank is not, in any way equivalent to spending time outdoors."

02/13/2008, 12:15 AM	#16
capncapo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Florissant, MO Posts: 4,664	The ONLY way cirolanids can get a meal is to "catch a fish". They do that by swimming. Sphaeromatids are more of a grazer. __________________ S.L.A.S.H. ............ Often imitated, never duplicated! Venture forth and enjoy life .... the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. Current Tank Info: Which one?

02/13/2008, 12:18 AM	#17
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	yeah thats what i was thinking, because i havent seen them swimming around in the water maybe they are just sphaeromatid isopods. I have been looking at pictures and they look very similar. I will have a look tomorrow when the lights come back on. __________________ 180g FOWLR "Sun bathing on the floor next to your tank is not, in any way equivalent to spending time outdoors."

02/13/2008, 12:22 AM	#18
sanababit Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Uranus Posts: 3,094	that thing looks like a ghost from pack man, pinky perhaprs, lol, jk its a flatworm, most likley __________________ Senior Member of the "Hardly any Water Changes, Temp Swinging, T5ing, No Qtining, Frag Exchanging for Fish Food Current Tank Info: 90RR inwall, Octopuss Skimmer, 2 MP40 wQD, 1 MP10 WQD, 2 Radions G4 Pro, Apex Doser, Apex Controller, 400w heater, 30 Gal Sump, Biopellets, Carbon, Gfo, Macroalgae

02/13/2008, 10:05 AM	#19
Bremmon Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 131	One thing I noticed in the picture of a Benign Flatworm on Merv's site is that the pictures don't show eyes like the drawing above. Last edited by Bremmon; 02/13/2008 at 10:13 AM.

02/13/2008, 02:54 PM	#20
R.W. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 890	exactly, and i can see eyes on mine. Today i will try to catch one and view it with a magnifying glass or something. __________________ 180g FOWLR "Sun bathing on the floor next to your tank is not, in any way equivalent to spending time outdoors."