Save the Amphipods/Copepods!  Team OCD.   5/24/07
Hello,
<Hi Deb, Mich here.>
I'm emailing with what is probably a stupid question, but I haven't found anything in your FAQs that addresses this.  
<What's the quote.... the only stupid questions are the ones that aren't asked?>
I was cleaning my fish tank yesterday and was replacing the carbon in my canister filter.  When I break down the filter to pull out the bags of carbon, I end up spending a ton of time searching for amphipods and copepods in/on the filter media to "save" from being dumped with the water removed from the tank (I tend to rinse the bags in the old tank water and soak the new carbon in it as well).  
<Mmm, yep.>
So my question is -- am I being entirely too anal-retentive?  
<Mmm, yep.  There's a name for this condition... It's called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD, for short.  Seems to be particularly common in reef keepers.  Welcome to the club.  We meet at 3:33 on the third day of the third week and Anthony Calfo is our president.>
I am not currently running a refugium in this tank, so I value each and every 'pod that I've got.  
<My guess is a refugium wouldn't change this compulsion... is more likely a "Deb quirk".>
Also -- there's the "life" aspect of it -- I don't want to merely dump these little guys away, sealing them to a fate of slowly drying out on my driveway.
<And the guilt issue that you put them there... am I close?>
Is there a better way to filter out 'pods in my filter media and reintroduce them into the tank?  
<Not that I have found.>
I thought about trying to gather them from the water pulled from the tank before dumping it, but it's usually so dark with detritus and carbon powder that you can't see anything in it.  
<Strain it with a fine net.  Oh-no!  Now I'm feeding the monster!>
I've been picking them out by hand and placing them on the live rock in my tank.  
<Mmm, yep...know the sickness...feel the fever.>
I do the same thing when I replace the other filter media in my canister as well.  
<Yep.  And I bet you dread siphoning the substrate...>
Thanks for any input that you might have on this.   
<Wish I had better advice but either embrace this quality, accept it as one of your quirks, and keep picking or change it, particularly if it's negatively impacting other areas of your life, and seek treatment.  Only you can determine what is right for you.>
As always, you
guys/gals rock!
<pick and petfish-roll!>
Deb
<Cheers!  Mich>

White things - they're alive!
Hello, my 150gal FOWLR has been running for about 2 weeks now and everything is going well.  I've noticed a few tiny white bubbles on the inside glass for a few days but today there seemed like more and upon very close inspection they appear not to be bubbles but tiny white creatures!  I have to strain my eyes but they are definitely moving around under their own power, they look like tiny white scorpions scurrying along, thousands of them.  What could they be, is this safe? Scary!  I'm hoping to add the first fish next week...Thanks! Mike
<Very likely  no worries... some sort of micro-crustacean. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/invertfa.htm
and the linked FAQs beyond. Bob Fenner>

Re: white things - they're alive!
Wow,  I got the man himself that time :) Thanks Bob, I did read that section just now, got ahead of myself and asked before investigating because it seemed so weird.
Here's the best shot I could get of what I'm hoping are copepods? thanks again! Mike
<Most all the smaller species of crustaceans that "pop up" in our aquariums are beneficial... might be amphipods, other groups, but most likely copepods. Bob Fenner>

Crazy For Copepods!
Hi.
<Hi there- Scott F. here today>
I was wanting to eventually add a mandarin to my tank.  I have a 90 gallon tank with 90 pounds of live rock from FFExpress.  I have searched at night for copepods but have never found any?? I thought that copepods for the most part always came with live rock??
<Not always>
I have looked in all the crevices of my rock with a flashlight late at night but still nothing. am I missing something here?
<Just the copepods! LOL....>
Well, because of this I was looking at adding a detritivore kit to my tank to help seed it with these little creatures.  I was looking at IPSF 9 for 99$.  my sand bed is only about 1.5-2 inches deep.
<I'd increase the sand bed depth to at least 3 inches-better for denitrification and biodiversity>
So would this be beneficial to me or should I skip the kit and aim more towards something that is just copepods??  The IPSF kit would be different things other then the copepods like worms, tiny bristle stars, and other things like that that are associated usually with deep sand beds.  What's your opinion??? Will the other creatures am getting with the IPSF kit be any real benefit even though my sandbed isn't deep?? Get the detritivore kit or just copepods???
<I'd get the "mix and Match" special that IPSF offers. IPSF and its owner, Gerald Heslinga, are great to work with! You'll get great service and products. I have dealt with them many times and am very pleased with them! All of the life forms that you mentioned will be beneficial to your system. You may want to purchase an additional starter culture of amphipods from them as well>
Also one more thing since I have your attention.  My live rock is getting this green algae that looks like tiny cotton balls.  None of it is more then like 1/8 long.  Its almost like a moss.  I have what I think are Astrea snails (12), 2 fighting conches, and a lawnmower blenny.  None of them seem to like it?  What would u suggest I add to help get rid of this....
<If it's really getting to be a nuisance, overrunning desirable life, then you may want to actually manually extract it as well as you can. This type of bloom is common in newer tanks where higher nutrient levels are the norm. With diligent attention to husbandry (water changes, aggressive skimming, good feeding habits), this algae will go away in time, replaced by more desirable forms. Really keep that skimmer cranking- you'll be fine!>
Thank you so much. Matt
<And thanks to you, Matt, for stopping by>

Pods In The House!
Dear WWM Crew, I just transferred my live rock from one tank to another. I noticed something on several pieces that resembled a small cotton ball. They ranged in size from 1/4" to 1/2" diameter and appeared to be in spots that the fish could not reach.  The fish tank was thriving so I assume this life form is ok.
<I'd have to see a pic to make a solid ID on this one...>
I also encounter small 1/8" long critters when I clean my particulate filter. They are almost see through and will squirm when touched. Any ideas?
<I'll bet that these are amphipods of some sort. They are highly sought after by many hobbyists, and are generally desirable scavengers. In fact, many fishes, such as mandarins, love to eat them. You will often encounter them in refugiums or other parts of your system where they can grow free of predators (like mechanical filter pads! Consider yourself and your system lucky to have a thriving "Pod" population!>
Thanks once again for your web site. Brian S.
<And thank you for stopping by! Regards, Scott F.>

Free Swimming Parasites in Infected Tank?
Hello WWM Crew! I think your site is great, it is one of the most comprehensive sites on the aquarium hobby I have seen. Anyway I have a question. About 2 weeks ago, I had an ich outbreak in my 60 gallon which housed a dog faced puffer and a tomato clown. I quickly quarantined the fish and am hesitant to use copper in my main tank because of the live rock and things that live in it.
<Agreed, I do not like to use copper in display tanks and would never use it in the presence of liverock.>
I've decided to let the tank fallow for a few weeks
<One full month, please else a few of the cysts may still survive to re-infect your fish.>
and while I was looking at my tank, I could see these little white things floating around and a few of them were swimming. They looked like little oval dots with tiny tails. Could this be ich in its free swimming stage?
<It would be difficult to impossible to see Cryptocaryon free swimming with the naked eye. It is much more likely that this is some sort of plankton. It is one of the indirect benefits of fallowing your tank. The populations of pods blossoms without your fish predators.>
They almost look like baby sea monkeys. Any help is much appreciated! Ron
<Best of luck to you with the Ich! -Steven Pro>