I know it’s an isopod, but...

737drivr · Feb 12, 2018

Just want a positive ID before I do anything drastic. I would like to know if this is the parasitic-kill everything- isopod or if this a scavenger type.

Crabs McJones · Feb 13, 2018

#reefsquad any ideas? Hopefully not a cirolanid isopod

reeferfoxx · Feb 13, 2018

This one doesnt look good. Looks like a cirolanid. Might try a six line wrasse? @evolved @Lionfish Lair any wrasses or other predators pray on these?

reef lover · Feb 13, 2018

Try this https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...cirolanid-verses-sphaeromatid-isopods.251779/

Maritimer · Feb 13, 2018

Welcome to Reef2Reef, 737Drivr!

@KJ or @Jose Mayo might have a direction for you to look in, as well.

They're pretty cool lookin' bugs, and you've amassed quite the collection!

~Bruce

KJ · Feb 13, 2018

Cirolanid isopod
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/bp/index.php

Jose Mayo · Feb 13, 2018

This is a swimming isopod, Cirolana sp, it feeds on debris, is carnivorous, not parasitic.

(Cirolana harfordi)

Regards

737drivr · Feb 14, 2018

Thanks for the info. I’ve been doing lots of research on my own and have resigned myself to the fact that this is Cirolanid isopod. I moved a coral at night last week and one these swam up and bit me, drew blood. Tried to smash it between my fingers, it’s exoskeleton is very hard like beatle. Couldn’t ID it at the time because I managed to squish my only evidence. 3 days later my valentini puffer was swimming like she was drunk, put her QT, but she didn’t make it.
So now it’s time to go to war. Wish me luck. I’ll report my progress here.

Maritimer · Feb 14, 2018

Yeah, sounds like you've got the bad ones - good luck!

~Bruce, wondering whether a bottle-trap would be effective against them . . .

737drivr · Feb 22, 2018

Update: after reading Brian’s article, I decided to try to catch as many of these as could with the bottle method. I built the bottle as he specified but I didn’t have the bottle cap drilled so I left it off. I placed the bottle at 8pm (tank lights off) and collected again at 11pm. I had 7 isopods captured, plus three snails. I left the bottle in until morning, hoping for an additional catch. No such luck. Once the lights were on the next morning, the isopods could figure out how to swim out of the trap. So I had just given them an excellent dinner.
I tried this method again the next night. I added a plastic net over the end of the bottle to keep the snails out. I captured 5 more isopods by midnight. I replaced the trap, and had 0 by the morning.
My fox coral and my elegance coral are showing signs of stress due to water quality from leaving the bait bottle in at night. I’ve doubled my water changes to try to combat this.
I tried to “soak” the bait food to get it extra powerful, it’s foul stench was too much to handle.
I’ll try one more week with the bottle trap method. I ll find a bottle cap and drill it, and I’ll only leave the trap in until I go to bed to maximize my catch.
Wish me luck.