bugs in my tank....what are they?

[hyrumbradshaw]

Ok I have these little bugs in my tank (too small to get a pic of) I see them only on my glass of the tank, they move around when I use my magnafloat. I would describe them as being kinda brown in color and being about half the size of a really small ant.

What are they? I know it might be kinda hard to identify them without a picture but I have no hard corals in my tank so if they are red bugs how would they be surviving?

[mkeller]

My guess would be pods....

[hyrumbradshaw]

Do pods stay on the glass?

[sage_commander]

Oh yeah. On your glass, your sand, your rocks...

[hyrumbradshaw]

Are they that small and have a bit of color to them? I thought they were kinda transperant? why dont the fish eat them???

[mkeller]

maybe the same reason we don't open the fridge and eat everything in it all at once... Just a guess, even though it is kinda a smart a$$ reply....

[Mariner]

Pods come in many different shapes, sizes and colors (I have white, clear, brown, red and neon green in my tanks right now) -- there are zillions of different species...give or take a zillion ;)
Many fish will eat them, but as with most predator/prey relationships, there are a lot of variables.
HTH,
Mariner

[hyrumbradshaw]

ok so how can i be sure they are not the dreaded red bugs?

[mkeller]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12506350#post12506350 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hyrumbradshaw
ok so how can i be sure they are not the dreaded red bugs? To go along with my smart a$$ answer earlier.... Just Ask them LOL I don't know much about red bugs, but didn't you say you read up on them and they need coral to survive? I assume your tank is around 6 months old? That is about the time I had a big explosion of pods. If you worry too much about getting this and that you are going to drive yourself nuts.

[hyrumbradshaw]

I dont know if they need coral to survive, but I do know they are a predetor to certain types of corals.... You ask how old my tank is.....what part, its constantly being modified but I started about a year ago haha. thanks for your help

[Mariner]

Red bugs need acropora to survive, and will not bother other corals. If yours were red bugs they'd be on the acro's and not on the glass.
Mariner

[edfkbf]

Some people spend $$$ just to get pods in their tank; I think it's a good thing, and nothing to worry about.

[cloak]

Here's a couple good articles.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-10/rs/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/rs/index.php