help please with an ID

[johnnjen]

Hi Everyone, I need help with an Id. Unfortunatly I cannot get a pic of these little guys. On the tank tonight we notice verry little white dots, little like grains of salt. they are moving and seem to be eating the algae that I have on the side of the tank. There are a whole bunch of them they ones that are a little bit bigger seem to have some sort of littl tail. Anyone have any ideas what they might be or if they are a good thing to have a pest that I got.


Please Help me Thanks

JNJ

 

[Dewman]

I am going to say...copepods.

 

[Dewman]

Do they look like this?

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[johnnjen]

well they are not really big enough to get you a definate answer, but what I can see of them I would say yes. Definatly that color, and the tail looks correct. but they are so small its hard to tell.

Do they eat algea? it looks by the way that they are moving on the side of the tank that they "walk" if they go off the tank I lose them in the water.

Still say copepods? The information that I can find is 1 they are good to have or 2 they are a parasite and are bad?

Any info you guys got would is much appreciated.

thanks again

JNJ

 

[Anonymous]

Copepods are good, isopods (some) bad. You've got copepods, I think. An excellent food source for your fish, so don't worry!

 

[Anonymous]

They sound like good normal critters, some kind of pods. Most of the little critters you find showing up from live rock are good or at least harmless.