Swift_B_D
11/20/2012, 08:03 PM
Hello Reef Central. I hope this is an appropriate place to post this. Research has been done before I came here to ask, but, I came up pretty empty handed so asking here seemed to make sense.
Today in my 90 gallon (established for at least 6 years before I took it over) I noticed a few creatures riding the back of one of the medium sized snails. I'm not super concerned, but, I think knowing is better than ignoring with a project of this magnitude and expense. Here is a a picture of what appears to be some type of Copepod but never looked like any of the ones online for sure. It just didn't quite match any of them. They are roughly 2x the size of the Calanoid Copepods previously identified in the tank that numbered in the 1,000's.
http://imageshack.us/a/img534/9115/copepods.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/534/copepods.jpg/)
This next shot is difficult to really see but I'll try to explain it as well. They protrude from what appear very similar to snail shells. These "shells" lay flat and do not move at all, they are very much embedded or fused. The part that protrudes is spherical with a small white oval design on one side and a small mouth roughly in the center also outlined in white. I observed it pulling food into the "mouth" using suction, then noticed two antenna slowly work there way out. The thing is really, really, bizarre looking. There are at least 3 that I spotted so far.
http://imageshack.us/a/img844/8272/zoomofunidentified.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/844/zoomofunidentified.jpg/)
Anyways, I spend a lot of time with the tank and recently after finding my 10x eye loop have been having a blast identifying very small creatures living in it. It's really been amazing how much life exists unseen.
I have a couple shots of other up close pics.
Calanoids I believe
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2026/copepodsupclose.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/521/copepodsupclose.jpg/)
Hydroid Jellies?
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8346/hydroidsupclose.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/138/hydroidsupclose.jpg/)
Any thoughts/ideas would be great. Look forward to meeting you guys.
Today in my 90 gallon (established for at least 6 years before I took it over) I noticed a few creatures riding the back of one of the medium sized snails. I'm not super concerned, but, I think knowing is better than ignoring with a project of this magnitude and expense. Here is a a picture of what appears to be some type of Copepod but never looked like any of the ones online for sure. It just didn't quite match any of them. They are roughly 2x the size of the Calanoid Copepods previously identified in the tank that numbered in the 1,000's.
http://imageshack.us/a/img534/9115/copepods.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/534/copepods.jpg/)
This next shot is difficult to really see but I'll try to explain it as well. They protrude from what appear very similar to snail shells. These "shells" lay flat and do not move at all, they are very much embedded or fused. The part that protrudes is spherical with a small white oval design on one side and a small mouth roughly in the center also outlined in white. I observed it pulling food into the "mouth" using suction, then noticed two antenna slowly work there way out. The thing is really, really, bizarre looking. There are at least 3 that I spotted so far.
http://imageshack.us/a/img844/8272/zoomofunidentified.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/844/zoomofunidentified.jpg/)
Anyways, I spend a lot of time with the tank and recently after finding my 10x eye loop have been having a blast identifying very small creatures living in it. It's really been amazing how much life exists unseen.
I have a couple shots of other up close pics.
Calanoids I believe
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2026/copepodsupclose.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/521/copepodsupclose.jpg/)
Hydroid Jellies?
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8346/hydroidsupclose.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/138/hydroidsupclose.jpg/)
Any thoughts/ideas would be great. Look forward to meeting you guys.