bugs... SW Waterstriders?  -08/27/08
Hi guys,
I am sorry if I missed my answer in one of the archives but I am lost on what is in my tank. I just started a 35 gallon saltwater tank with live rock I bought from LFS. It has been running about 4 days and today when I opened the lid to test the water I found all these bugs swimming on the surface. They are the size of gnats and are black. I scooped most of them out but I don't know where they came from. It looks like there flying around but when I look at water level they are skimming the surface. They do not appear to be swimming around my tank. I have two other tanks and I am familiar with most of the common "bugs" but I could not find an identity for this one. Any help is greatly appreciated-thank you.
<Hmm... sorry, it's really hard to say without a picture. Have you seen any more since?
Best,
Sara M.>  

Uh... SW Waterstriders? really?   08/27/08
Hmm... I thought salt water pelagic insects were fairly uncommon (only five Halobates species).... and don't they have long skinny legs? But I don't know...
Sara
<Are rare indeed... the reason for my ? mark. Hopefully they'll send in some pix. B>

Re: bugs, SW  08/28/08
Yes there were more a few hours later. I put some in a bowl and tried to get a picture but they were to blurry. I used my magnifying glass to look at them and could probably describe it better. The head appears to be a light red and there are two long antennas on the head and what appears to be four legs and two antennas on the rear shaped like a V. The front antenna are the longest and some look like they have more than two. They are very small, the body is about this size -- Some are smaller and a few bigger ones. There were a few floating shells the shape of just there body this morning. I used my magnifying glass and could not see any crawling on the rock or glass and they are not swimming in the water. I am sorry no picture I hope this helps.
<Hmmm... interesting. Bob thought of Waterstriders, but these don't sound like them (and pelagic SW Waterstriders are pretty rare anyway-- and they wouldn't likely reappear in any case). My "educated" *guess* is that they're some type of pelagic amphipod. Maybe like this one...?
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/sertc/images/rollovers/pelagic%20amphipod.jpg>
They don't fly but they stay on the water surface. I am guessing they came on the live rock but I don't know of any bugs that hang out on the water surface. I know they sound kind of like amphipods
<Haha... read my mind.>
but I have never had any only on the water surface.
<Ah, but there are pelagic (i.e. water-surface dwelling) amphipods. We just don't see them that much. They're not likely harmful (likely won't even survive long in an aquarium).>
Thanks so much for your time.
<Thank you for sharing with us,
Sara M.>

Re: Uh... SW Waterstriders? really?   08/28/08
Hmm... from his recent additional description, I now think they're pelagic amphipods... kinda like this one:
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/sertc/images/rollovers/pelagic%20amphipod.jpg
What do you think?
Sara
<Oh, so they were/are underwater. B>

Re: bugs 08/28/08
The amphipod picture looked right on.
<Awesome! ...glad you/we figured it out!>
I had looked up the Waterstriders before contacting you and they did not look the same. Thanks again you guys are awesome.
<De nada,
Sara M.>

White Critters, water striding somethings in a SW sump   6/20/07
Ok I have live rock in my wet/dry where the water intake from the tank goes/where bio balls were. Floating on top and only on top are white gnat like creatures skimming the top of the one side. There are hundreds of them and I can't get a pic of them they're too small and fast! White with wings and legs size of a pin drop. Any clue cause it's only in this part of the sump and not in the house or tank. Sorry for not much info just maybe you have some sort of an idea or heard of this before thank you.
Don V.
<... Are these insects? Not common in SW... Maybe Halobates, Gerrids... Please see the linked files in this search: http://www.google.com/search?q=saltwater+water+strider+insects&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7PCTA
Bob Fenner>

Barnacle in Tubastrea, Concerns Unlikely to come to Fruition - 02/09/2007
Hello to the wonderful crew at Wet Web Media, It's Brandon again.  
<Hi Brandon!  It's Mich again.>
I am writing because I had a thought, while watching my Sun Coral.  
<Hmm, maybe I could send a couple a people to see your Sun Coral so they might have some thoughts.>
I bought two colonies, because I knew that the LFS they were in was either going to starve them, or sell them to someone who could not care for them.  
<"Rescue" is not necessarily the best policy here.>
I will admit that I was not terribly interested in hand feeding two colonies of Sun Coral, but I have grown quite fond of the guys, watching them eat and all.  
<I hope you do not tire, another reason why rescue is not always a good thing.>
I noticed that there was a creature inside one of the colonies.  I have identified it to be some species of barnacle.
<OK.>
My concern is that all things grow, and I am quite sure that the barnacle will grow, resulting in one of two outcomes.  
<Actually barnacles usually don't do well in captivity and typically starve.>
Outcome one, the barnacle splits the colony, and assists me in propagating it.  
<Unlikely.>
I am hoping that this is the way things go.  Outcome two, the barnacle grows larger, but is not able to break the colony, and dies a horrible pressure death, causing me to have to take the colony out, or risk the reef.  
<Also unlikely.>
I have already looked at pulling the barnacle out and relocating it, but he is bigger than the hole he lives in.  I was hoping that someone at WWM had run into something like this before.  I have been reading an article that Anthony wrote regarding coral propagation.  I am planning on buying his book as soon as I know the name of it ;).  Hoping that you guys could tell me that too.
<"Book of Coral Propagation, Volume 1: Reef Gardening for Aquarists"  by Anthony Calfo.>
If I have to split the colony on my own I was wondering what would be the best way to go about it without loosing either creatures.
<Unfortunately, I don't think this will be an issue.>
I also recently asked about a Trachyphyllia.  I was concerned that it would die because of a loss of tissue, and algae growth on the skeleton.  I moved it out of the light to a slightly shaded area, and it is doing much better.  So thank you for the help Mr. Fenner, as you were the one that answered me on this.  
<He will see.>
I would also like to thank you all for the help that you have given me in the past,
<You're welcome.  Glad you have found it useful.  -Mich>  
Brandon R. Foster

Barnacle in Tubastrea, Concerns Unlikely to come to Fruition - II - 02/11/2007
Greetings all,
<Greetings to you Brandon!>
I had a few concerns that the barnacle would starve to death as well.  But I have been observing him, and he seems to be eating quite well.  
<One can only hope.>
I have actually observed him sticking out some sort of feathery hand like appendage, and "catching" food items with it.  
<Yes, typical behavior.>
I have been feeding a mix of Mysis, and phytoplankton.  It is pretty interesting.  When the Tubastrea eats, the barnacle eats.  I have frequently seen him eating, actually I can't recall not seeing him catching things.  The only time that he isn't seen is when one of the larger fishes swims by.  As to the rescue.  I am kind but not fool hardy.  I waited for about three weeks before purchase on the sun coral, and I read all that I could on the site, then I read http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0797/0797_3.html.  The article by Eric Borneman.  Armed with this information, I felt that it was easily in my capability to care for these organisms.  
<Thank you for making an effort and educating yourself, I was merely commenting on your self described questionable commitment to hand feeding.>
I have been feeding them nightly.
<Very good.>
I have let them continue to be nocturnal, because I leave work when the lights are already off.   I have noticed  as of late that they will come out any time that I add food to the tank, and I have even seen them catching free floating food items.  
<All good signs.>
This encouraged me, and I think that it has even
lightened my load a bit.  By the way, I did QT them for a month, during which I did feed them.  
<Very good.>
I didn't notice the barnacle until a few weeks ago. I saw him come out.  I thought that it was something with a tongue.  I
watched a bit closer and realized that it was the aforementioned feathery hand like appendage.  I have had both colonies, and the barnacle for a few months now.  I thought that if he were going to starve he would have done that by now.
<Maybe, maybe not.>
Thanks again,
<Welcome!  -Mich>
Brandon R. Foster