rolly polly looking critter

laura · 02/02/2014, 04:32 PM

Ok, so yesterday I found on my glass in full lighting a little rolly polly looking bug. I was a bit disturbed by this cause I have tried very hard to keep anything I don't have an id on out of my tank.

I started with dry rock and sand. I cycled with bottled ammonia. I have added only coral frags that were very small on plugs that were all Bayer dipped in 5ml per cup for 15 min. The only "bugs" I should have are the amphipods and copepods I ordered from reefs2go. I'm almost certain that order is where this critter came in since I just took the sponge out of the bag and added it to my tank. It was crawling with bugs that I assumed were amphipods and copepods since that is what I ordered.

So this bug looked just like a rolly polly. It was about 1/4". It had a hard segmented shell and it had legs (not a skirt). I tried to get a pic but my iphone wasn't good enough. It was a light grey color.

What does this sound like to you guys? I've been reading and I'm thinking maybe an isopod which has me freaked out. I have had it since my reefs to go order on Jan 6th. If it was parasitic wouldn't I have lost fish by now? Do chitons all have a skirt or do some have legs?

Thanks for the help! Sorry I couldn't get a picture. I know that makes it hard to really know anything for sure. I'll keep trying but I haven't seen it since.

Imjustgud · 02/02/2014, 04:45 PM

It would be easier to identify with a pic. It is likely an isopod, but would need to see to confirm.

Biotopes · 02/02/2014, 04:46 PM

Yes a picture is in order, but it's likely an isopod or chiton.

Sk8r · 02/03/2014, 12:34 PM

Amphipod possible. If it's got evident black alien-like eyes, it's a cirolanid and not good; but those are fairly rare. Amphipods are desirable. So are chitons...but they're really slow-moving.

laura · 02/03/2014, 01:14 PM

Well, I didn't get to see its eyes. I only saw its underside crawling on the glass. It sure wasn't slow tho. I haven't seen it since. I've been looking with a flashlight after lights out but I don't see it. It didn't look like an amphipod. At least not the amphipods that I got in my reefs2go order. It was much wider. It looked a lot like this pic I found online but it had legs and I don't know if chitons have legs. I guess I won't worry about it unless I start losing fish. Then I know I'll have a nightmare on my hands.

aujosh84 · 02/03/2014, 02:25 PM

+1 on isopod. Check out these links:

http://tolweb.org/Isopoda
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchpods.html

Can't tell if good or bad from your description, Cirolanids are generally the bad isopods. I've had a couple and they are a pain to get rid of. You can tell because those roly polies will start swimming around the aquarium looking for a fish to munch on around dawn and dusk.

laura · 02/03/2014, 06:56 PM

Oh no! I think it may have been a Cirolanid. Or maybe a sphaeromatidae. Any ideas on how to catch it?

laura · 02/03/2014, 09:11 PM

Darn it! I saw it again and tried to catch the little devil but it got away. I didn't see big black eyes. It was in the back of the tank on a rock so I didn't get a great look before it crawled in a hole. Sheesh, gives me the willies. I hate bugs! Especially fish slashing ones. It didn't look like it had any interest in swimming. Just crawling around avoiding the net. I think I'll try a turkey baster next time.

kurt_n · 02/03/2014, 10:43 PM

The picture you posted is a chiton, but chitons don't have legs. From the sounds of it, it's an isopod. But the bad ones are pretty rare. I had a plague of isopods for a while. Not sure where it came from, or where they went. I siphoned them out when I saw them, but eventually they just disappeared. I think like most things in our little closed ecosystems, they overpopulated themselves right out of existence!

02/02/2014, 04:32 PM	#1
laura Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 56	rolly polly looking critter Ok, so yesterday I found on my glass in full lighting a little rolly polly looking bug. I was a bit disturbed by this cause I have tried very hard to keep anything I don't have an id on out of my tank. I started with dry rock and sand. I cycled with bottled ammonia. I have added only coral frags that were very small on plugs that were all Bayer dipped in 5ml per cup for 15 min. The only "bugs" I should have are the amphipods and copepods I ordered from reefs2go. I'm almost certain that order is where this critter came in since I just took the sponge out of the bag and added it to my tank. It was crawling with bugs that I assumed were amphipods and copepods since that is what I ordered. So this bug looked just like a rolly polly. It was about 1/4". It had a hard segmented shell and it had legs (not a skirt). I tried to get a pic but my iphone wasn't good enough. It was a light grey color. What does this sound like to you guys? I've been reading and I'm thinking maybe an isopod which has me freaked out. I have had it since my reefs to go order on Jan 6th. If it was parasitic wouldn't I have lost fish by now? Do chitons all have a skirt or do some have legs? Thanks for the help! Sorry I couldn't get a picture. I know that makes it hard to really know anything for sure. I'll keep trying but I haven't seen it since. __________________ laura Current Tank Info: 90 gal. in wall with 27 gal sump (no refugium) with eheim 1262 return and a WP40. 50lbs LR and 25lbs sand (about 1.5-2"). Reefbreeders Photon 32. Brandless skimmer (i bought used).

02/02/2014, 04:45 PM	#2
Imjustgud Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Carmel, IN Posts: 59	It would be easier to identify with a pic. It is likely an isopod, but would need to see to confirm. __________________ 75 gal Mixed Reef using Algae Scrubber Current Tank Info: 75 gallon mixed reef

02/03/2014, 12:34 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Amphipod possible. If it's got evident black alien-like eyes, it's a cirolanid and not good; but those are fairly rare. Amphipods are desirable. So are chitons...but they're really slow-moving. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/03/2014, 02:25 PM	#6
aujosh84 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Indialantic, FL Posts: 247	+1 on isopod. Check out these links: http://tolweb.org/Isopoda http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchpods.html Can't tell if good or bad from your description, Cirolanids are generally the bad isopods. I've had a couple and they are a pain to get rid of. You can tell because those roly polies will start swimming around the aquarium looking for a fish to munch on around dawn and dusk. __________________ wde Current Tank Info: 75g reef in the works

02/03/2014, 06:56 PM	#7
laura Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 56	Oh no! I think it may have been a Cirolanid. Or maybe a sphaeromatidae. Any ideas on how to catch it? __________________ laura Current Tank Info: 90 gal. in wall with 27 gal sump (no refugium) with eheim 1262 return and a WP40. 50lbs LR and 25lbs sand (about 1.5-2"). Reefbreeders Photon 32. Brandless skimmer (i bought used).

02/02/2014, 04:46 PM	#3
Biotopes Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Posts: 330	Yes a picture is in order, but it's likely an isopod or chiton.

02/03/2014, 09:11 PM	#8
laura Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 56	Darn it! I saw it again and tried to catch the little devil but it got away. I didn't see big black eyes. It was in the back of the tank on a rock so I didn't get a great look before it crawled in a hole. Sheesh, gives me the willies. I hate bugs! Especially fish slashing ones. It didn't look like it had any interest in swimming. Just crawling around avoiding the net. I think I'll try a turkey baster next time. __________________ laura Current Tank Info: 90 gal. in wall with 27 gal sump (no refugium) with eheim 1262 return and a WP40. 50lbs LR and 25lbs sand (about 1.5-2"). Reefbreeders Photon 32. Brandless skimmer (i bought used).

02/03/2014, 10:43 PM	#9
kurt_n Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: WA Posts: 2,592	The picture you posted is a chiton, but chitons don't have legs. From the sounds of it, it's an isopod. But the bad ones are pretty rare. I had a plague of isopods for a while. Not sure where it came from, or where they went. I siphoned them out when I saw them, but eventually they just disappeared. I think like most things in our little closed ecosystems, they overpopulated themselves right out of existence!