Ares these pods and pod eggs? Good or bad pods?

forrealb50 · 11/29/2009, 02:51 PM

I have these pods all over my tank. I have read that some can be bad. Should I buy a fish to eat all these guys or should I leave them alone?

Some are as small as a pin head and some are 1/4" in size. What do you think?

phil519 · 11/29/2009, 03:02 PM

Those last two are amphipods. Harmless free scavengers.

I know people say them interchangeably but copepods are different critters - copepods are far tinier and will appear as white specks on the glass. The middle pic is a pinneapple sponge - harmless filterfeeder. They tend to appear in slow water areas (e.g. sump).

can't really tell on the first two pics.

the only bad invert with a "pod-like" name would be a cirolanid isopod. They are big and unmistakable with the beady black eyes. While being seen more frequently in the hobby - overall i'd say it's relatively rare to find. In the past 2 years with my club - i don't think a single person ever posted about one. They attach to fish at night and you should see fish acting a bit strange in the morning (lesions and what not). There was a reefkeeping article about it long ago i think (or at least a nasty ugly pic of a clownfish infested with the isopod).

forrealb50 · 11/29/2009, 05:50 PM

Wow great info! Thanks. Now I know why I don't even bother going to other forums.

11/29/2009, 03:02 PM	#2
phil519 Got Rotifers? Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 2,760	Those last two are amphipods. Harmless free scavengers. I know people say them interchangeably but copepods are different critters - copepods are far tinier and will appear as white specks on the glass. The middle pic is a pinneapple sponge - harmless filterfeeder. They tend to appear in slow water areas (e.g. sump). can't really tell on the first two pics. the only bad invert with a "pod-like" name would be a cirolanid isopod. They are big and unmistakable with the beady black eyes. While being seen more frequently in the hobby - overall i'd say it's relatively rare to find. In the past 2 years with my club - i don't think a single person ever posted about one. They attach to fish at night and you should see fish acting a bit strange in the morning (lesions and what not). There was a reefkeeping article about it long ago i think (or at least a nasty ugly pic of a clownfish infested with the isopod). __________________ Phil NJ reefers club Current Tank Info: 120 RR Mixed Reef, Custom 40G sump, started Nov 2008. "Are you suggesting that coconuts migrate?"

11/29/2009, 05:50 PM	#3
forrealb50 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 510	Wow great info! Thanks. Now I know why I don't even bother going to other forums.