Hitchhiker?

[bolo1904]

Bear with me, im a newb..3rd week into Cycling my very first tank. It has live sand, mostly dryrock, and 2 live rock I picked up at an LPS. It has some very small specs floatin around I figured from moving stuff around in the tank or some leftover food I used for cycling. But I look closer on the glass... I mean real close.. I see very tiny specs that look like they are crawling on the glass. they dont look like its moving due to movement of the water, they look like its crawling. Am I being paranoid or are they are some sort of hitchhiker that came from the live rock? if they are alive, is it safe/normal?

 

[Spare time]

A picture would help if possible. I am guessing its a copepod. Keep in mind though that this is going to happen a lot with live rock

 

[bolo1904]

I was guessing copepod too. but these are too small to take a picture.

 

[Redfoxtang]

With out a picture it’s hard to guess but if I did I’m going with copepods like stated above!

 

[bolo1904]

are copepods that small? sorry, with this being my first tank, I dunno what a copepod would look like. From what I looked up, the pics look like they are taken from under a microspope. From the naked eye, they look maybe slightly larger than specs of dust. If they are copepods.. they are safe right? I've read that its good to have them in your algae refugium? How do they affect fish and coral in the tank?

 

[Redfoxtang]

Yea when first being established they can be very tiny and unseen unless you get really close to the tank and then see them moving around.

 

[Redfoxtang]

Sorry yes and they are safe and are food for fish. Means your tank is becoming more biodiverse.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is it like this ?

 

[Rmckoy]

Could be pods ..
but keep in mind .
pods aren’t the only life that you will see in this hobby .
The sand has living bacteria , creatures as well.
But I’d guess it was imported in the rocks .
which is a good thing .

research and many days waiting .
nothing good happens fast in this hobby .

 

[bolo1904]

more like the picture with the green background. but still a bit smaller.. and not as much or clustered like in the pic. if they are copepods.. they gotta be lil "babies".. lol

 

[Spare time]

more like the picture with the green background. but still a bit smaller.. and not as much or clustered like in the pic. if they are copepods.. they gotta be lil "babies".. lol

They adults are tiny. Amphipods are too big and are different.