mjleffler Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 Hi everybody, I’ve recently started my very first saltwater tank and purchased live rock through KP Aquatics. So far I’ve been very happy with the rock’s shape and the amount of life that came on the rock. However, during a water change I spotted what seems to be a cirolanid isopod alive and well on the filter sock. Although this is the only one I’ve seen, I want to assume there is more of them in the tank to be on the safe side. At the moment I have added 0 livestock to the tank as it’s still cycling (added live rock and sand 4 days ago), so I’m thinking I could starve them out if I wait quite a while to add any livestock (longer than the cycle)...? I’m wondering if anyone has any experience in this situation, how long starving them out would take (if possible) or if they feed off anything else in the tank that would sustain them even if there’s no fish in the tank. Also wondering if I’d be safe adding members of a cleanup crew once the tank is finished cycling or if these would feed of all snails or hermit crabs? Thanks everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment
WV Reefer Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 1 minute ago, mjleffler said: Hi everybody, I’ve recently started my very first saltwater tank and purchased live rock through KP Aquatics. So far I’ve been very happy with the rock’s shape and the amount of life that came on the rock. However, during a water change I spotted what seems to be a cirolanid isopod alive and well on the filter sock. Although this is the only one I’ve seen, I want to assume there is more of them in the tank to be on the safe side. At the moment I have added 0 livestock to the tank as it’s still cycling (added live rock and sand 4 days ago), so I’m thinking I could starve them out if I wait quite a while to add any livestock (longer than the cycle)...? I’m wondering if anyone has any experience in this situation, how long starving them out would take (if possible) or if they feed off anything else in the tank that would sustain them even if there’s no fish in the tank. Also wondering if I’d be safe adding members of a cleanup crew once the tank is finished cycling or if these would feed of all snails or hermit crabs? Thanks everyone. they are so creepy with those big eyes! I would observe the tank at night and see if you spot anymore. 2 1 Quote Link to comment
mjleffler Posted April 4, 2020 Author Share Posted April 4, 2020 6 minutes ago, WV Reefer said: they are so creepy with those big eyes! I would observe the tank at night and see if you spot anymore. Yes definitely going to be on the hunt for the next few nights! 3 Quote Link to comment
mjleffler Posted April 7, 2020 Author Share Posted April 7, 2020 Well I found another one of these and managed to scoop it out of the tank. I actually saw it burrowed in the sand up next to glass and was able to scoop it out with a net. It’s a little over 1cm long. Have found that most posts online about this parasite refer to this link http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/bp/index.php I’m wondering if anyone has had any success with the ‘Stinky Water Method’ mentioned in the link. Also I did find a hitchhiker snail in the tank and wondering if anyone has heard of these guys feeding on snails as well as fish... as that would make it much harder to starve them out (especially as I would like to add a few more snails as the algae picks up). Would like to get a hermit or two but worried they could feed off the hermit itself or it’s molt. If anyone has had any success dealing with these monsters I’d love to hear about it! 2 1 Quote Link to comment
mjleffler Posted April 9, 2020 Author Share Posted April 9, 2020 Tried the “stinky water method” mentioned in the link above with no results (which may or may not be a good thing). I set the trap about 3 hours after lights out and left it in there for about an hour and half checking it consistently with a red flashlight. Going to try again in a couple days with soaking the shrimp for longer in the saltwater (overnight and the entire day vs. about 6 hours) so hopefully the water has more scent. Hopefully I just had the two in my tank as hitchhikers from the live rock, but definitely still nervous to add any livestock to my tank. 1 Quote Link to comment
mcarroll Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 Don't make something out of nothing by overreacting, IMO. You've found them in the tank. You haven't found them doing anything though. So just keep doing what you're doing – which is both harmless and effective. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
mjleffler Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 Tried again with the stinky water trap and didn’t see anything, definitely not an issue of it not having enough scent as it reeked! Hoping this means there was only two of them. I reached out to KP Aquatics asking if they had experience dealing with them, and they said they’re pretty uncommon to get with the live rock, but want me to keep updating them if I find anymore. Other than these guys, the life on the rock has been really neat and my tank already seems to have cycled. 1 Quote Link to comment
Tired Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 I'd wait awhile just in case. You can still add non-fish, after all. If you wait awhile, try the stinky water again a couple more times, and still see nothing, you're probably good. 2 1 Quote Link to comment
mjleffler Posted April 18, 2020 Author Share Posted April 18, 2020 Definitely going to give it a month or two before I add any fish, but going to order a cleanup crew either today or tomorrow as the algae is starting to pick up. Gonna order some Cerith and astrea snails, and maybe one or two scarlet hermits, but I’m somewhat nervous if there’s any more of these things that they’d eat the molts of hermits. Quote Link to comment
Cannedfish Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 @WV Reefer this makes me miss the creep... 1 Quote Link to comment
WV Reefer Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 6 minutes ago, Cannedfish said: @WV Reefer this makes me miss the creep... 😢 I need some freaky inverts back in my life. While you were away you missed the whole “bad crab in the dryer” incident. Quote Link to comment
Cannedfish Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 21 minutes ago, WV Reefer said: 😢 I need some freaky inverts back in my life. While you were away you missed the whole “bad crab in the dryer” incident. Go on... You have my attention... I’ve never had a crab in the drier, but once forgot to take a quail out of my upland vest after hunting... this “slight oversight” is quickly discovered at the exact moment you open the drier, specifically, because the drier has become an acutely odorous feather bomb. 1 Quote Link to comment
mcarroll Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 31 minutes ago, mjleffler said: I’m somewhat nervous if there’s any more of these things that they’d eat the molts of hermits. IMO if they are obligate fish parasites then I don't see them turning into scavengers. (That would mean non-obligate.) And if they aren't obligate fish parasites, then what's the cause for concern here? So IMO either they are or they are not fish parasites. You can safely be patient and plan accordingly, as you already are, IMO. 2 Quote Link to comment
WV Reefer Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 25 minutes ago, Cannedfish said: Go on... You have my attention... I’ve never had a crab in the drier, but once forgot to take a quail out of my upland vest after hunting... this “slight oversight” is quickly discovered at the exact moment you open the drier, specifically, because the drier has become an acutely odorous feather bomb. 😂 Well, it wasn’t as messy as that, thank god, but here’s the link. Quote Link to comment
Cannedfish Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 1 hour ago, WV Reefer said: 😂 Well, it wasn’t as messy as that, thank god, but here’s the link. Amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment
Donna421 Posted May 5, 2021 Share Posted May 5, 2021 Is this what I have here? https://photos.app.goo.gl/5GGhJDyo53LioRHj9 Quote Link to comment
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