Copepods

What do you do if you have the copepods multipling at an alarming rate, and seem to be eating or nibbling on zo's and other corals?
 

mattie

RS Sponsor
get a 6-line wrasse...........


but seriously are you sure it pods doing the eating of the corals becouse that usually would not be the case you should look and see if you can find the culprit in action. more often it is someother hitchhiker that is causeing the problem
 
It is the pods..caught them red handed. I just dont know what to do.
they are everywhere. I have two manderinfish, both fat. Cant keep up with the pods. I think over-all my tank critters are not normal. I have some pepperment shrimp that dont eat aptasia( got that unwanted hitch hiker ). Have to kill them myself. they like fish food better. My tangs dont eat all of the macro algae. My cleaner shrimp dont clean the fish. What the H... am 'I' doing wrong that my tank is bass-akwards.
 

Spooda420

Member
like mattie said 6-line or 8 line wrasse will make short work of them, pods are good just let them continue to breed and get another fish

i wish i had you probelms
 
OK, great, Now I have another Question...If I get either of the Wrasses, are they or will they get along with my Yellow tangs and my Purple tangs, I hear the Purple tangs are to be the Last fish to get in a tank due to they are very territorial and can be quite nasty with a new fish? I have one that is very dominant.
ALSO: the pods are mostly out at night after all of the lights are off. Are the wrasses still going to be able to get to these pods if not seen durring the day?
 

ScottT1980

Well-Known Member
I still think the pods are not eating healthy zooanthids. If they are taking out the zoanthids, then more than likely the tissue is necrotic. I have seen plenty of pods on my zoanthids, even them eat zoanthid tissue. However, when taking out the colony for a closer look, it turned out the tissue was already damaged.

JMO of course...

Take er easy
Scott T.
 
It is nopt just one colony of zo's it is multiple in different parts of the tank, also they seem to be eating up one of my yellow porites coral. I maybe wrong that is what seems to be going on. Maybe they are going after whatever is on them that is microscopic to me. Confus
ing to me!!!
 

ScottT1980

Well-Known Member
I am assuming there is no way to get a picture? I have never heard of anything like this, but hey, there is always a first for everything. I would go with a 6-line vs. an 8-line. I had an 8-line take out all of my ornamental shrimp...

My 6-line always looks pregnant with its belly full of pods (as Mattie can atest to). MY only concern is that the wrasse take too many out and your madarins will have nothing to eat... Tough call...

Take er easy
Scott t.
 

Tosh_Auer

Member
if ya got the money another mandarine or two? have a healthy family. let it be known i have no knowledge of there behaviour so maybe it isn't possible but just an idea.
 

ReefLady

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I still think the pods are not eating healthy zooanthids. If they are taking out the zoanthids, then more than likely the tissue is necrotic. I have seen plenty of pods on my zoanthids, even them eat zoanthid tissue. However, when taking out the colony for a closer look, it turned out the tissue was already damaged.

I'd have to agree with this. To the best of my knowledge they feed off organic detritus & microscopic organisms - phytoplankton & microzooplankton. They will 'bloom' when there is enough of a food source, but usually quickly die off to a lower level and stabilize.

What else would eat these? I'm not sure I'd go with another Mandarin -- when the pod population levels off, you may have an issue with feeding the Mandarin(s).

Hermits eat them, as do most shrimp. Firefish will also eat them, as well as Hawkfish (which may also eat your shrimp).

I think one of the easiest solutions may be to run a hang-on type canister filter. This should filter the bugs out of the water. I wouldn't run it constantly though - you still want a food source for your Madarins.

HTH,
 

livingreef2004

Active Member
to me it sounds like you may be overfeeding your tank the shrimp will clean like lil crackheads if they are hungry what size is your tank between my manderin and my 6 line wrasse i can barely keep enough copopods in my tank i really dont think they are eating your corals are you sure they are not just hanging out on them . you might want to check for flatworms they can be very hard to spot they get under the tops of zoos and blend in very well
 
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