New tank w/ possible isopod cirolanid, help!

[mdeleon1]

I just started cycling my tank with LR a couple of days ago and noticed what possibly could be isopod cirolanid. I've seen abouot 3-4 of them throughout the tank.

I've read these can be harmful.

What's my next steps?

[disc1]

First of all make sure that's really what you are seeing. There is no such thing as "Possibly" when it comes to cirolanids. Those things are unmistakable. The big black eyes give them away.

[mdeleon1]

Ok.... just saw 2 of them moving around and no big black eyes...phew. I will check tonight also to see if I see the others.

Just in case, how are these treated if they are the big black eyed ones?

[disc1]

Just in case, how are these treated if they are the big black eyed ones?

PBITAWA :sad2:

[mdeleon1]

Really? No chance in catching them with turkey baster or something else if there are only a few?

[disc1]

Really? No chance in catching them with turkey baster or something else if there are only a few?

I've never had them so I've never really looked into a softer means. But they are very small, they hide, and they reproduce in the tank. I don't know how you would kill them without taking out all the other pods. If you try to catch them, you can't catch them all.

[mdeleon1]

Darn it!

crossing fingers and praying they are not darth vader bugs!

[dzhuo]

There are lots of isopods commonly seen in the trade. Most of them are not harmful. Try catch one and see if it curls into a little ball. If it does, you are likely seeing a harmless algae eater. A big black eye isn't necessary a sign of predatory isopod. The ability to curls into a ball is a distinctive characteristic (which most predatory isopods don't have) of a commonly seen algae eating isopod.

[mdeleon1]

Good info. Thx

[thebkramer]

This may help with your ID :D

PODS (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/rs/index.php)
PREDATOR PODS (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/rs/)

[dzhuo]

And from the article:


Sphaeromatids are small bugs, generally less than a centimeter in length. They are common scavengers in many shallow marine environments, including coral reefs, and they are harmless to reef aquarium inhabitants. They can be recognized immediately by a couple of distinctive characters. First, each individual has the capability to roll into a ball-like terrestrial pill bug. None of the other isopods likely to be found aquaria will be able do that.


There are other characteristics but comparing photos can be difficult.

[thebkramer]

There are other characteristics but comparing photos can be difficult.

Thats sooo very true too!!

[PorkchopExpress]

Yes you can catch them. I first noticed my infestation 2 weeks after putting in my live rock and right after adding fish. Seems they either the female just gave birth or they hid until i introduced the poor fish...i didn't want to use sacrificial fish by doing the bait method as i just felt that was cruel to the fish...i also didn't want to use interceptor to kill all the good things in the tank so i went hunting...each night i'd catch 2-3, sometimes up to 11 or more and then also the next morning...they come out in the dark especially if you use Cirolanid Hunter's stinky water technique...they are VERY EASY to catch once you get used to spotting them...in the dark it's very easy to tell what is detritus and what is swimming against the current...you can also spot them on the glass...you can put the turkey baster right up to them and suck them up, they do not run away...even if they do wisen up, they're not as fast as most claim they are, you can still catch them swimming in the water with your turkey baster

the last ones i caught was Memorial Day so i'm now 1 month without seeing one...i'm going for 3 months fallow just to be sure

but yes, those are critters born of pure evil and i hope you don't have them

[mdeleon1]

Sounds like I'll be doing some staking out during my cycling time!

[mdeleon1]

Here's one of them. It's pink and I was able to suck it out with turkey baster. It turns into a ball when ever I move it around.

Is it a friend or foe?

[dzhuo]

As I mentioned earlier, if it turns into a ball; it's a good guy. It's highly unlikely you have a predatory isopod with this curl-up behavior. Most predatory isopods are incapable of doing that due to physical limitation. Most likely, they will slowly die off within a couple of months (unless you have a super high nutrient system and dedicated to grow algae).

[mdeleon1]

adding more pics