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Cultivated Reef

what is the mystery creature?


amphipod

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So I collected some coarse sand and sea water on a vacation in Houston Texas. I had 2 isopods some sargassum and seaweed in my collection jars. About 2 months later catastrophe hit, isopods and sargassum died, then an orange "film" formed and melted my seaweeds :( after ward some little creatures about 1-2 mm long came out, they swim with an almost dartey fashion grow very quick, they also hate light so I see them at night. They are being so far tolerant of whatever I've been feeding them ( fish flakes, frozen krill, the particles already in the water ) and I am not sure what they are, any suggestions?

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s can't be, they aren't worms. Nor any sort larvae they reproduce so they must be adults. They also are the only visible organism in their setup, it's been that way For almost 3 months so neither parasites, but thanks for Giving me suggestions :)

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I know it is vague I'm sorry but that is the best I can say, they could be a sort of crustacean, but I'm not sure. I have no working microscope and they Never are still enough to observe with the magnifying glass, and they are fast.

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This is why we don't randomly pick up shit off the beach (especially in Houston lol) to stick in our tanks. Well I don't anyway, but I guess to each his own.

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Asking an ID for a "mystery creature" without posting a photo is... challenging to say the least. ;)

 

Some kind of copepod, perhaps?

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Dr.Brain Coral

The fact that an orange film formed and hen these creatures cam out of the orange film is really cool.

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I know how the epitokes get made by the polycheate worms, explain more of their behaviour diet size etc this and potential copepods are quite promising. I did some searching of my own could it be a sort of cumeacean? I don't know much about cumeaceans and would like to learn more about them. The orange film is also mysterious. come to think of it I forgot to mention I added brine shrimp to the setup before disaster and they were all eaten after the isopods died and the seaweed started to melt, they died in napuli stage then mystery creature started to appear in small numbers, sorry for not mentioning that before I forgot to say. When I get home I will try to get a picture of them but remember they are really small and fast. On a side note I would like to thank everyone for helping so far :) :)

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I know how the epitokes get made by the polycheate worms, explain more of their behaviour diet size etc this and potential copepods are quite promising. I did some searching of my own could it be a sort of cumeacean? I don't know much about cumeaceans and would like to learn more about them. The orange film is also mysterious. come to think of it I forgot to mention I added brine shrimp to the setup before disaster and they were all eaten after the isopods died and the seaweed started to melt, they died in napuli stage then mystery creature started to appear in small numbers, sorry for not mentioning that before I forgot to say. When I get home I will try to get a picture of them but remember they are really small and fast. On a side note I would like to thank everyone for helping so far :) :)
Suck some up with a turkey baster and put a drop of the table. It'll be easiest to get a pic.
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Can't get a pic >:( they are too small, I'll see how I could otherwise show them. Also a unrelated question, so I have these Green tree frogs which later tadpoles about 1 month ago, one tadpole grew to FIVE times the others in same amount of time, how? Why? Also the big one grew in a tank with blue green algae unlike the others.

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Dr.Brain Coral

I believe epitoke are the free swimming lavae of polycheate worms. There very fast swimming with a eratic swimming pattern,



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I believe epitoke are the free swimming lavae of polycheate worms. There very fast swimming with a eratic swimming pattern,

 

:eek: wtf....

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Amphiprion1

Please inform me as much as possible about an epitoke. Does it turn back in to a polycheate worm on its own or what?

 

No, they release gametes and degrade. What you described sounds more like copepods just based upon the darting motion. Look up a short video of harpacticoid copepods (probably the most common in our tanks) and see what comes up. They are very small, but it sounds similar to me.

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That epitoke is a cool organism, though I think the Harpacticoids could be some of the creatures. I have recently noticed there is 2 groups in the tank, some hate light others come to the light, the light lovers are slow and jumpy ( probably Harpacicoids ) the light haters swim still darty but are fast ( slow and fast referring to actual distance covered ) then some who are neutralish more to light but stay in almost the same place in a 5 second period. I just noticed this today.

 

Sorry I meant 3 groups, typo.

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if they are an epitoke is there any sure way to make them release their gametes? do they have a limited life span as an epitokial organisim?

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Also I put a bubble algae in there as an experiment, maybe I can cause the red film again, or maybe I could sell my new biological bubble algae exterminator (if it works). Nature is a most fascinating of things :)

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