Tank under INVASION! HELP!!!!

[nichjon]

A few weeks ago, my fish started dying 1 by 1 and i've noticed that they had small white spots on their bodies, so figuring it was ich, i bought some meds and started dosing regularly but it didn't work. As of this Monday, i'm only left with 1 percula so i decided to try Seachem's Paraguard and so far it's been doing well n eating well. But on Wed after i cleaned the tank as well as the gravel, i noticed that there some tiny white things moving on the tank walls, I'm still continuing to dose Paraguard as directed by the instructions to see if they get cleared. I've also installed a UV sterilizer on Monday.

I've attached a video link for any Reef Experts out there to help me with a diagnosis on how to clear this problem. Any tips or suggestions will be very helpful.

Thanks Reefers.

[onizukaa]

they might be pods

[arcanehacker]

For one, I know you will not be able to get rid of them with UV nor any ich treatments.. BTW they should be a kind of pods.. You probably need a LS intervention.. however I do not know what fish can help..

[mitlancer]

suck them out when u do your WC.... not too sure if a six line wrasse would eat them... anyone knows?

[arcanehacker]

suck them out when u do your WC.... not too sure if a six line wrasse would eat them... anyone knows?

You try.. it will be a never ending battle.. hehe. I had infestation once by some large (size of frozen mysis) shrimp like pods.. can't remember the name. Brownish and comes out at night.. Its kinda impossible to clear them with water change because they burrow in rocks.. worst is fishes do not eat them..

I was lucky they are not harmful to LSs... just disgusting to see when lights go off.. anyway nature took its course and population shrunk alot for some reason..

But in this case, I got a feeling some fishes might eat them coz they are small. Mandarins maybe?

[Sea_Urchin]

I had infestation of it and I wish I have an infestation of it again. I dun suppose they are anything bad and should not be related to the white spots on ur fishes.

Any experts care to comment on this?

[nichjon]

ya man, makes my skin crawl when i turn on the lights in the morning, anyone can recommend any fish or anything that can eat these ugly buggers up?

[yikai]

they are copepods and they are extremely beneficial. most reefers are dying to have copepod infestation because certain fishes like mandarin fishes and pipefishes feed almost exclusively on these, unless u get them to feed prepared food.

don't kill these pods. they are good and beneficial. the parasite responsible for ich (cryptocaryon irritans) is a microscopic protozoa and cannot be seen unless viewd under a microscope.

[arcanehacker]

they are copepods and they are extremely beneficial. most reefers are dying to have copepod infestation because certain fishes like mandarin fishes and pipefishes feed almost exclusively on these, unless u get them to feed prepared food.

don't kill these pods. they are good and beneficial. the parasite responsible for ich (cryptocaryon irritans) is a microscopic protozoa and cannot be seen unless viewd under a microscope.

Are copepods that big? I'm pretty sure the ones most reefers which they had are smaller ones.. They are slow moving also..

I've heard of a variant of pods that sticks to fishes like parasites.. not ich.. hopefully these are not the kind..

Anyway, harmful or not, you are surely not getting rid of them with what you got or water change.. Suggest you try with Mandarins, scooters or some other pod eating fishes.. if they eat, they should control the population.. if they don't, you still have cute little scooters swimming around.. hehe.

[yikai]

i can only assume they are copepods since no picture is given and a pretty bad description too. but white little dots crawling around tank glass are usually pods. a clear picture will confirm. pods come in all sizes. copepods, amphipods all kinds.

[nichjon]

Hi lemonlemon, wah u really r expert man. Thanks for all reefers' advice. Will maybe look for a mandarin then, phew was worried for a second!

[onizukaa]

i can only assume they are copepods since no picture is given and a pretty bad description too. but white little dots crawling around tank glass are usually pods. a clear picture will confirm. pods come in all sizes. copepods, amphipods all kinds.

yup agree

[Morpheous]

Correct me if i am wrong, but you should be experiencing copepods on your tank. Plenty of super tiny stuffs on the glass wall rite?

I have the same problem as you. They are hazardous in huge qty....I've lost a regal angel before due to this...

The larvae will float on the water and that irritates the fish when it hooks on the fishes. Therefore it does looks like ick.

You can minimise the discomfort by:

1. Scrubber if you have (Soak the plates in fresh water to kill them. Scrubbers are good harvesting ground. )

2. Run a filter through a filter sock. (micron size type)

3. Introduce a mandrian fish ( Would prefer to have them quarantined first to prevent ick introduction)

Below attached image is what I previously captured.

Pardon the blur image as this is caught with a 20X eye lupe together with a 3X camera zoom and they keep moving >.< (Total 60X Zoom??) Could any expert figure out?

[yikai]

those are not copepods. those look like parasitic flatworms, or flukes. copepods are harmless and do not hook onto fishes

[pweesng]

damn.. i also have this white things crawling on my glass...

they are especially obvious when you turn off the pump and the water is still...

WHAT ARE THEY????