flying saucer in my tank

[FamousGuy]

All the 'pods ive usually seen have been very small(and not very fast)...but in my new 20 i've seen this flat "thing" about the size of a piece of corn zipping around the tank a couple times, wayyyy too fast to get a good look at. Kind of reminds me of a spooked fish the way it swims all fast and erraticly then dissappears..anyone know what it could be? Nothing has been dying and I havent heard any signs of a mantis. The new rock is fiji

[tinyreef]

does it kind of undulate or ripple along? then it may be a flatworm.

 

clear or iridescent? may be a ctenophore (sp?).

 

mini-horseshoe crab? ???

[FamousGuy]

it looks like it's light brown or white, it did kind of remind me of a horshoe crab...it swam really straight and fast, like the ENTERPRISE on star trek going into warp speed

[Toyfreek]

it really sounds like a horseshoe crab.

Does he have any appendages that you can see?

Toy

[FamousGuy]

When i got home tonight i turned the lights on to check on my new clown and the flying saucer thing flew out and landed right in front of the glass and stopped, so i could look at it. It was shaped kinda like a rolly-poly, only transparent. It was smaller than i orignally thought, about an 3/16th inch. It had two big black eyes right at the head end of it...damn now i'm worried it's a juvenile mantis. Any ideas? I'm gonna go double check the hitch-hiker faq in the meantime now that i've got a good look

[Physh1]

It could be a mantis but they are usually not that active. The description does fit though and it is totally possible.

 

Have a net handy and be preparred to swip at warp speed Scotty...

 

Cameron

[joh]

is this what you see (smaller version of it) http://www.assateague.com/horsesho.html ?

 

From what you say, I think you actually got HORSESHOE CRABS. They can grow back, but I don't think you have to worry about them right now if they are smaller version of what URL has. Houseshoe like to hide themself under the sand when they rest. I don't know if they are reef safe though. Just watch them and see if they bother your coral or not (if what you see is horseshoe). I dount it is mantis, mantis doesn't actually do what you describe (or look like flysaucer).

[joh]

more url

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/educa...eshoefacts.html

http://www.cyhaus.com/marine/hcrabs.htm

 

my local petco has them for $9

[printerdown01]

Isn't it possible that he has a large isopod?? This would seem to fit the discription quite well!

[Physh1]

This is one of those instances where a picture would type a thousand words.

 

I know it would be hard but man it would help.

 

Cameron???

[Toyfreek]

Dude I gotta tell you,

I hope its not the case but the big black eyes thing kinda convinced me it is a parasitic Isopod feeding on your fish at night after lights out. I'll get ya the link But I thought I should tell you fast.

Toy

[Toyfreek]

Like I said I hope it's not the case But if it is heres some reading for you.

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/rs/index.htm

 

Hope I'm wrong,

Toy

[FamousGuy]

Ok i'm confused...this pic of an amphipod from dr. ron's page looks exactly like the thing in my tank..

http://www.rshimek.com/images/Aug%208/AMPHIPOD.jpg

 

but then again, thats what some of the parasitic isopods look like as well, except they seem to be slighly more flat..anyways i guess the main characteristics that will ID this creature are:

1. can amphipods get to be about 3/16 inch big?

2. can amphipods swim through the water column, or at least "jump" through the water and are they fast or slow?

3. Can you see the eyes clearly on amphipods? (I know you can in that drawing but what about a real one)

 

thanks everyone for your help

[Metznreef]

amphipods and copods can get that long. i had some in my tank that long before my dottyback ate them. mine were like white/transparent.

[Toyfreek]

Amphipods look amazingly different from Isopods.

generally amphipods look like curled shrimp and they scoot around on thier sides. (like a cheeto corn snack) No the eyes are tough to see and usually you can only see one since they are on thier sides. They dont swim they scoot around the rockwork.

Amphipods are usually tan/green in color and can get to 1/2 inch

 

 

Isopods (many different kinds) usually look more like horseshoe crabs but are white or clear. Thier movement is like a car topside up and wheels on the ground. It's only the ones with pronounced black eyes you really have to worry about most of the others are benificial/harmless. These can get really big depending on species, like 1/2 inch as well, but the good guys are usually 2mm to 3mm at largest.

 

So which you got? I'm dying to know.

Toy

[joh]

Amphipods i have in my ref tank and filter grow big (like half of cm or may be 6mm long)... never actually look for the eyes, but i think i usually saw them on the side. Also I saw them swim too, just kind of like shrimp... and once they get to my show tank, usually they'll get eat with in minute.

[FamousGuy]

You know what sucks? I have a mini-baster thing that i tried to get it with when i finally got a clear look at it, but the tube was too small to fit it...i would have caught it if i would have got my lazy ass to the store to get a real turkey baster a few weeks ago. The thing held perfectly still for me too until it felt the pathetic sucking. After i get back from the store with my new weapon i bet i'll never see the stupid thing again (but my fish will)

 

I'll borrow a camera and take a pic if i catch it for sure

[FamousGuy]

did more research today, i found a pic of it...apparently its "scavenger" isopod and there's a slight risk of it going after fish as well. If it were the flat out parasite one supposedly i would have seen it on my fish by now or seen signs of it attacking

 

This sucks because i was gonna go get a second black percula tomorrow, but now i'll probably just stick with a one clown tank and add something else in like 4 or 5 months when i've either caught this thing or am sure it's harmlessX)