tank full of little shrimp?

[banditpowdercoat]

OK, turned Actinics on this morning, and I seen a scurry of little shrimps. About 1/16-1/8" long. Are these cocopods?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

If they look like shrimp, they're sw mysis. Really good for a reef tank to be overrun by these since they are live food for the fish (ie. Mandarin gobies).

Anthony

[Myka]

Originally Posted by banditpowdercoat

Are these cocopods?

They are copepods, and a sign that your tank is just beginning to mature. Good live foods for lots of fish.

Not likely sw mysis.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Myka

Not likely sw mysis.

Well, my tanks & sump/refugiums have always had some sw mysis running around in them.

Here's a link to different hitchhikers:

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/hitchfaq.htm

You should be able to ID what it is you have.

[marie]

Originally Posted by Myka

Not likely sw mysis.

Why not sw mysis?

I have loads of mysid shrimp, after lights out they all come out of the rock work. They look like teeny, tiny helicoptors buzzing the sand bed

[Myka]

I've never heard of people actually having mysid shrimp, upon closer inspection they always turn out to be copepods of one type or another. It was my understanding that for some reason or another that mysids don't reproduce in our reefs. I'd be interested to hear otherwise from a reliable source.

[marie]

Myka, It wouldn't surprise me if you have lots. Peek into the nooks and crannies of your rock (you can then be your own reliable source).
The little guys swim very fast and look like those racers from the star wars movie hovering an inch or so above the substrate

[Myka]

I'm pretty sure I just have amphipods and copepods. I only have skittering critters, no hovering critters. They hang out on the underside of my corals and in the filter boxes.

[marie]

Here you go

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/mysis.html

[Myka]

Ya, I just found that. I didn't notice he had Mysids on there before. But ya, I don't have any Mysids.