[Brad2296]

Hey guys. I was looking through my tank today and noticed a small little "thing" swimming/moving around. I'm calling it a "thing" because I don't know what it is. But it is probably the size of a grain of rice, if not smaller, and it is brown-ish in color, almost looks like a shrimp, mixed with a centipede. The back end of it was curled inward towards it stomach, and it had many legs. Yet it looked like it had small antennas. I was wondering if this is some type of natural organism that grows over time?

And also, what are other type of "natural things" that will grow in a matured tank?

 

[mlanting]

sounds like a isopod. there are a million different kind.

 

[Naiad]

Its a pod . Most likely an Amphipod from what you described. You will find these and many more little critters as your tank matures. All part of the fun :happy:

 

[mf2055]

Amphipod. nice little snack for a fish. great natural clean up crew. Unless there are thousands of them under each rock there is nothing to worry about with these guys.

 

[mf2055]

sounds like a isopod. there are a million different kind.

Isopods are evil blood sucking ######*#*#*#*#*#* not anything like a cute little amphipod.

 

[Naiad]

Isopods are evil blood sucking ######*#*#*#*#*#* not anything like a cute little amphipod.

I take it you two have met before? (you and the isopod i mean)

 

[Brad2296]

LOL, thanks for the quick replies. What exactly are they? And how are they formed, or where do they come from?

 

[Naiad]

Did you use live sand or rock?

 

[Brad2296]

I started my gravel bed with 1 bag of live sand, and 1 bag of CC. And I also have around 100+ pounds of live rock.

 

[mf2055]

I take it you two have met before? (you and the isopod i mean)

I pulled two of them the side of a nickle and quarter out of the gill pouch of a bright yellow 5" frogfish I had, were nearly sucking it to death. Very creepy looking things sucking his blood right near his gills... not cool to have to tear them off either. felt very bad for the fish, but thankfully it lived a lot happier after they were removed. Don't know what I would have done if they were on a harder to work with fish... with the frogfish you can just gently grab them by the dorsal fin and hold them upside down and they will not move for anything... He would not eat dead food unless you pinched his dorsal and stuck it in his mouth.. lol... cool fish other than the vampire bugs. Funny how you can pick them up and they still try to act like a rock...:3195:

 

[Naiad]

Most likely came in on some of that as a baby. They start out microscopic. They are also extremely hardy and often survive the shipment process. Even if the adults do perish their eggs survive and quickly populate. If you got your live rock already cured I have no doubts there is a thriving population in the tanks it came from.

 

[dputt88]

they are a crustacean. about 50% of pod species are parasitic, the other 50% free living. lucky for us the vast majority of pods that show up in the aquarium are free living and just become fish food.

 

[Naiad]

I pulled two of them the side of a nickle and quarter out of the gill pouch of a bright yellow 5" frogfish I had, were nearly sucking it to death. Very creepy looking things sucking his blood right near his gills... not cool to have to tear them off either. felt very bad for the fish, but thankfully it lived a lot happier after they were removed. Don't know what I would have done if they were on a harder to work with fish... with the frogfish you can just gently grab them by the dorsal fin and hold them upside down and they will not move for anything... He would not eat dead food unless you pinched his dorsal and stuck it in his mouth.. lol... cool fish other than the vampire bugs. Funny how you can pick them up and they still try to act like a rock...:3195:

It sounds like an awesome fish! I'm glad you were able to save him. Glad I've never met an isopod face to face.

 

[dputt88]

not all isopods are parasitic either. but some of the most scary of parasitic pods do belong to that order. like the one that replaces the tongue of the host ( only parasite known to functionally replace a structure of its host). and some of the many species that feed on or around the gills.

a rollie-pollie ( pill bug) is an isopod. so you most likely have met one face to face.

 

[mlanting]

Oops! I didn't mean to say isopod... I don't even know what those look like. I miss having pods... amazing how fast a sixline can wipe out thousands of pods.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Naiad]

not all isopods are parasitic either. but some of the most scary of parasitic pods do belong to that order. like the one that replaces the tongue of the host ( only parasite known to functionally replace a structure of its host). and some of the many species that feed on or around the gills.

a rollie-pollie ( pill bug) is an isopod. so you most likely have met one face to face.

:secret: Shh, i never play with bugs (and yes i know he is not really a bug)... lol. That is true, it is unfair to give all isopods a bad name.