very tiny bugs on glass

[crystalreef]

I noticed, while looking at my glass up close, that I have 100's or maybe 1000's of little white critters that are averaging around the size of a grain of sand. I would think that they were just dust, but they seem to cling to the glass and move around like tadpoles. Kind of quick, start-stop motions. I cannot see any legs or tails, but the movements really seem like they are alive.

Any ideas what this could be???

 

[BoomerD]

Most likely just some of the various pods we strive to keep in our tanks. Most likely, they came with your live rock, or in some live sand.Good things to have, will provide fish food as your tank matures.

 

[wooddood]

i agree with boomer i too believe that they are a good sign.post a pic if you can so we can be sure.

 

[beel]

from what i experience these tiny bugs is kind of disturbing. They like to move around corals and when it does it will disturb da corals and their tentacles won't expand particularly on catalaphyllia.

 

[caja]

they're copepods. perfectly normal and a sign of a healthy tank. run a google search for more specific info.

 

[mick77]

Hey caja, I have a ton of these little roly poly looking bugs. They are a little larger than a grain of sand as I can physiclly remove them off my filter pads with my fingers. I always just assumed they were copepods. Is my assumption right? My LFS said they were glass shrimp?

 

[caja]

those would be amphipods also good to have.

 

[mick77]

Thanks for the identification!