Bugs??

lilqtpierikki · Mar 6, 2012

Hey everyone! So i've got my tank all set up. Been testing the water to make sure i'm still stable. Finally got all the rock i need, BUT.... Now i have a whole bunch of stuff going on!

I'm wondering, does anyone else have these sort of bugs, i can't get a pic of them because they are super tiny. I have to get my face almost touching the glass to see them crawling around. It also seems i have 2 diff kinds. I have a puka shell substrate and there's a larger form of i guess millipede type bug crawling around in the shells.

I got the rock from a tank that was over a yr established. Should i be worried? THANKS!!!

Fragtastic Reef · Mar 6, 2012

Hard to knnow what they are without a picture. See if you can find them on Google and get an idea that way from looking at pictures. Otherwise I would not worry about them unless you believe them to be flatworms or something similar.

sprinklerdudes · Mar 6, 2012

are they sorta reddish pink? could be harmless bristle worms, they live in the rock and substrate, eat left over food etc,

greg0385 · Mar 6, 2012

Maybe pods

caudill187 · Mar 6, 2012

Tisbe pods are very tiny....look like specs of sand and are the kind you want.

lilqtpierikki · Mar 6, 2012

hey everyone. i cant tell what the tiny ones are, they're too small to even see what they look like, but theres tons of them. the bigger ones kinda look like the 1st photo i posted.

while looking around i found this guy (not the specific one in the pic but very similar) didn't even know he was in there. It's so amazing what all goes on in there!

i looked up flat worms, i dont think i have any of those... i can't really find a photo of them though. The ones i found are really colourful, either way, i don't have anything that looks like any of the photo's, so i guess that's good

.

gonna go back and look to see what else i can find crawling around in there!

lilqtpierikki · Mar 6, 2012

here's a better question, what SHOULDN'T be in my tank? What do i need to look out for to get out asap...

i have sponges too... I have more of those spiney worms than i thought too, they sure don't like light!

CrayHawk · Mar 6, 2012

The picture on the left looks like a copepod. The worm on the right is a bristleworm. Pods are good for your tank (fish food, etc.). The bristleworm is indifferent. Don't touch it with your bare hands though. I pick them out of my tank with tweezers otherwise they multiply quickly.

Eternal · Mar 6, 2012

amphipods and bristle worms. Those are good guys. Here is a good simple site that might help you.

Xtalreef - Reef Saltwater Aquarium

lilqtpierikki · Mar 6, 2012

yeah i was just reading that bristleworms will multiply fast, and it seems i have a few... may need to get them out. i was reading on how to make a trap for them cuz i dont know how to get them out with tweezers, they're at the bottom of my tank lol

CrayHawk · Mar 6, 2012

Link to bristleworm trap:

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do-yourself-diy/81264-bristle-work-trap.html

lilqtpierikki · Mar 6, 2012

Eternal said:
amphipods and bristle worms. Those are good guys. Here is a good simple site that might help you.

Xtalreef - Reef Saltwater Aquarium

THANK YOU! This is an awesome site! I will keep an eye on the worms. i dont have clams so i dont have to worry about them eating them. i have finiky eaters so a lot of the food does sink down to the bottom. I have a crap ton of snails and hermits to clean up the food, so i'm not really worried about them having a lot to eat. I'm not sure how many i have but i will keep my eye on them.

kinda off the sub. i just noticed my cleaner shrimp has eggs! Mind you, all of this rock, hermit crabs, snails, 2 star fish, and 2 fish all came from the same tank!

i look forward to finding other stuff around. i did find that i have VERMITID SNAILS, because i have the spiderwebs floating around in the tank...

steamer51 · Mar 7, 2012

Congratulations on starting with live rock that is full of life, all good. Personally I don't worry about how many bristle worms I have since if I overfeed they take care of the excess and if I'm feeding properly the population will decrease in proportion to the amount of food available. Copepods and Amphipods are nothing but good news, the more the better. Valuable part of the clean up crew as well as free fish food.

-Logzor · Mar 7, 2012

lilqtpierikki said:
THANK YOU! This is an awesome site! I will keep an eye on the worms. i dont have clams so i dont have to worry about them eating them. i have finiky eaters so a lot of the food does sink down to the bottom. I have a crap ton of snails and hermits to clean up the food, so i'm not really worried about them having a lot to eat. I'm not sure how many i have but i will keep my eye on them.

kinda off the sub. i just noticed my cleaner shrimp has eggs! Mind you, all of this rock, hermit crabs, snails, 2 star fish, and 2 fish all came from the same tank!

i look forward to finding other stuff around. i did find that i have VERMITID SNAILS, because i have the spiderwebs floating around in the tank...

I wouldn't worry about any of the critters except for the vermitid snails, they can irritate nearby corals.

lilqtpierikki · Mar 7, 2012

-Logzor said:
I wouldn't worry about any of the critters except for the vermitid snails, they can irritate nearby corals.

Luckily for me, i don't have corals. I live in hawaii, can't have em.

I will remember that though, cuz right now, i have a CRAP-TON of them, and when i do have corals, i'll have to watch how many i have