a mystery bug, and hydroids

Brie · Dec 3, 2008

So a couple of things popped up in my 8gal nano recently... No idea where they came from as I haven't added anything new except for some sps frags.

One of them are little white bugs, totally unlike any amphiopod or copepod i've seen before. They look almost like silverfish, except they're under water. lol. They seem to mainly stick to the glass... I've looked through every hitchhiker/pest website I could find, haven't been able to find anything like them.. No curl-under tail, just a flat white body, visible legs, fast moving... Are there any harmful pests that sound like this?

Second are what I think are hydroids. They look like photos i've found, but I haven't been able to find any of them face on or side shots. Just on the glass shots.

So how do you get rid of hydroids? I've read they populate from over feeding, but there is nothing in this tank that I feed, at least not heavily. A few pellets here and there to feed the fire/pistol shrimp, but thats it.

Madisons_Mommy · Dec 3, 2008

The silverfish looking things are probably mysid shrimp. Your description sounds like them. We've had hydroids come and go in our tanks, usually when they were fairly new. They built up a population at about the 3 month mark and then were totally gone about a month later.

Curtswearing · Dec 4, 2008

The only hydroids you need to worry about are colonial hydroids. If they are on the glass and they bother you, use a magnet wiper. If they are on the glass and they don't bother you, leave them.....they won't hurt anything.

HUMPRICE · Jun 24, 2009

I have a similar issue with white bugs. I just found them in my canister filter,two days ago and tonite in my skimmer. I can't get a good picture. They are about 1/2 inch long and 1/8 inch across. I don't see them floating in the tank, nor do I see much movement from them as they are adherent to the surfaces of the pump housing and skimmer. Other than a good picture, what info can I give.

Right now I have a 55gallon FOWLR, 50 pounds of live rock, a tomato clown, yellow tail blue and yellow damsel. I'm running a refugium (10 gallon with chaeto). There are several Red leg hermits, astrea and margaritta snails, previously I had Turbo snails but that has been a while. I have increase my lighting to a Nova Extreme pro with 6 54 W bulbs, run a Korallia 3, 2 Nanos, a power head and a canister filter for charcoal.
I'd like to make the transition to corals later this summer assuming these critters are safe or they can be eliminated.

luke33 · Jun 25, 2009

Could be isopod's. Do you have any pics of the hydroids or bugs.

HUMPRICE · Jun 25, 2009

luke33 said:
Could be isopod's. Do you have any pics of the hydroids or bugs.

I was unable to get a clear picture of the beasties! The largest one is greater than 1/2 inch in length. I checked this article after searching isopods, "Pills, Parasites, and Predators; Isopods in the Reef Aquarium by Ronald L. Shimek" and the eyes are not visible to me (Age is a nasty thing, but the alternative is not a viable option!) This suggests to me that they might be idoteids not cirolanid. Any other thoughts. Thanks for your help!!