HELP! What are these swimming at night! Please be safe!

[splix]

I heard a snail in the MP about an hour after the lights went off. I got the flashlight to shine in to take him out before he broke a blade. When I shined the flashlight in the tank I immediately noticed all these tiny worms swimming all over the place. Some are white, some are brown. They are around 1/8" long, all free swimming in the water. There were probably 200 or so of them. I've never seen these before and I look at the tank around once a week with the flashlight to make sure nothing crazy is happening.

 

[helen ann]

Copepods?

 

[splix]

I have copepod and anthapod infestation in my nano since nothing eats them. I've not seen anything like these in the main display. If they're copepods they're crazy huge and are able to swim in the water column. They're not on the glass at all, they're swimming, and around 1/8" long.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I can't see the video, but maybe it's epitokes.

 

[Babygecko1233]

Get a blenny

 

[HowardJ02]

Wow! I'm surprised your lionfish hasn't gone for them! That's kinda cool, man!

 

[splix]

It's only cool if they're reef safe! haha.

 

[HowardJ02]

It's only cool if they're reef safe! haha.

Haha! They just look like big, healthy, active pods to me!

 

[tj w]

Interesting, almost look like some type of fry

 

[splix]

I thought the same thing at first. I dont have anything in my tank that could breed other than clownfish.

 

[cbjay10]

Just noticed these in my 55gal FOWLR lastnight as well. although some of them are attaching to the glass and rock in my tank.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

It's definitely epitokes. You can stop the video in a few places to see them.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

You can even see the bristles in the one with the arrow. Don't worry about it. It's very normal, just not too many people get to see it happen in their tanks. I too have seen it in my tanks, but that was like 20 years ago and I've never seen it since.

 

[joaocdestro]

Hi Friend, I saw this same critters last night on my reef, what is your conclusion? It's reef safe? shoul I do something about these guys?