Copepods!!! Am I tripping?

[19Mateo83]

My 5 gal system is less than a month old and things are thriving. Copepods showed up in force after I fed my trumpet and Duncan tonight. They are running around chasing each other on the glass. Am I tripping? Copepods colonized in less than a month? They must have come in on a frag plug. Tank is mainly zoanthids. Will they feed on the copepods?

And a hungry trumpet closeup because why not.

 

[bradreef]

Yes, if you dont have anything to eat them. They grow quickly.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

New systems for the most part always have a amphipod/copepod explosion at the beginning then it will regulate out to lower numbers.

 

[19Mateo83]

It’s nice to see the biology diversifying so fast.

 

[Dinkins Aquatic Gardens Verified Sponsor]

That is really cool - congrats on the beneficial hitchhikers!