Critter keeps attaching to clownfish

[Lutzerman]

Hey, setup my first tank recently and added a couple clowns over the weekend. First fish I've added since it cycled. Used uncured live rock (TBLR) and I think one of the critters that came with the rock is attaching to the clowns. One attached last night and the clown went crazy trying to shake it loose. It was gone by morning. Just looked in the tank and the other one had one on its tail fin. I netted it and took the best picture I could. I was able to get it off with a pair of tweezers and now the fish is doing fine. Any idea what this might be? Looks to be a fully formed critter with little eyes. If anyone can ID, any ideas how to get rid of them? Thanks!

 

[Crabs McJones]

Looks like a cirolanid isopod. They're predatory on fish.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

^100% correct

 

[Lutzerman]

Looks like no realistic removal strategy other than removing fish for several months. Ugh. Any idea if I can keep and feed coral and still starve these guys out? I'm assuming no frozen foods but could they survive off of phyto or reef roids

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Looks like no realistic removal strategy other than removing fish for several months. Ugh. Any idea if I can keep and feed coral and still starve these guys out? I'm assuming no frozen foods but could they survive off of phyto or reef roids

If you use a red lense flashlight at night you’ll see them swimming around and you can net them. Unfortunately if you catch one there’s probably 5 more. The red light works and they are clumsy swimmers so pretty easy to net.

 

[Crabs McJones]

If you use a red lense flashlight at night you’ll see them swimming around and you can net them. Unfortunately if you catch one there’s probably 5 more. The red light works and they are clumsy swimmers so pretty easy to net.

Would a qt copper treatment and a fallow period kill them out?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Would a qt copper treatment and a fallow period kill them out?

I’m assuming his tank has rock, coral etc so copper would be a no-go and a fallow period can be tough because I believe these guys can live off of detritus also. If he stays vigilant he can net these guys or pull them off the fish as they attach.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I’m assuming his tank has rock, coral etc so copper would be a no-go and a fallow period can be tough because I believe these guys can live off of detritus also. If he stays vigilant he can net these guys or pull them off the fish as they attach.

But if you could put the fish in a proper qt with copper, would copper kill the pods so the fish would have some relief and then you can net them out of the main tank while the fish are out?

 

[Lutzerman]

I’m assuming his tank has rock, coral etc so copper would be a no-go and a fallow period can be tough because I believe these guys can live off of detritus also. If he stays vigilant he can net these guys or pull them off the fish as they attach.

Yeah, unfortunately I went a little crazy at the WWC sale yesterday too so my limited coral tank is about to get quite a bit busier. I just looked closely in the tank and caught 4 or 5 of the little boogers swimming around with the lights fully blazing. Maybe I have a non-nocturnal variety or maybe my tank is so infested they are coming out at all times. Hopefully the former.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

But if you could put the fish in a proper qt with copper, would copper kill the pods so the fish would have some relief and then you can net them out of the main tank while the fish are out?

The pods will attach to the fish and be very visible. The pods will continue to survive in the tank and when you put the fish back in they will reattach. He is just going to either net them or wait for one to attach to a fish and get him out that way. I’m not sure there is anything reefsafe to kill these things other than us.

 

[Lutzerman]

I guess this is the risk you run getting uncured rock with all the cool life on it.

 

[Crabs McJones]

The pods will attach to the fish and be very visible. The pods will continue to survive in the tank and when you put the fish back in they will reattach. He is just going to either net them or wait for one to attach to a fish and get him out that way. I’m not sure there is anything reefsafe to kill these things other than us.

Thanks for the info

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I guess this is the risk you run getting uncured rock with all the cool life on it.

Yeah unfortunately this is one critter you never think youd get.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I do think a Wrasse will eat them, maybe @eatbreakfast or @evolved can confirm this.

 

[Lutzerman]

I do think a Wrasse will eat them, maybe @eatbreakfast or @evolved can confirm this.

It looks like these isopods come in lots of sizes and mine are the very tiny variety. Tried looking in the dark and it was pretty impossible. Too small. Might try a wrasse. They are def small enough a wrasse could eat them no problem. Was going to get one down the road anyway. Would like to get out in front of this problem if possible.

 

[Lutzerman]

I though I'd post an update to this as I came across a possible solution or at least strategy to help get rid of these critters. I manually removed for a couple days. Only caught one or two more after that first day when I caught a bunch swimming around the tank. None have attached to any fish in 5 or 6 days so figured the problem was solved by manual removal. Went to add GFO to my reactor this morning bc phosphates were up and wouldn't you know, there were probably 7-8 of these guys in the GFO reactor, including one monster. I had the gfo in a media bag between sponges so there was open room below the media, which is where most of them were. Haven't seen this posted anywhere so it may have just been dumb luck, but worth trying if you are having a problem. Doubt the GFO had anything to do with it. Probably just got sucked in there and couldn't get out. Either way, hopefully I'm done with these guys in the tank.

 

[Foothill Corals]

That is just a regular amphipod in that last pic

 

[Lutzerman]

That is just a regular amphipod in that last pic

Pretty sure it's the bad kind. Here's the description from the place I got the rock saying they are ID's by black eyes: Cirolanid Isopod
Here's another pic:

 

[Ebslinger]

Would a cleaner wrasse be effective at controlling these?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Hopefully that’s all of them. Tbh I was going to buy rock from them but never thought about these guys coming in with it. I’ll stick to my rock. Good job.