Isopods in a fishless tank

Slick Fork · #1 08-14-2010, 08:21 PM

Hi there,

Just noticed last night that I have a couple of isopods cruising around the tank. No fish in it just yet but I did add 4 snails yesterday. What's the best course of action? Try to trap them all or let the tank go fishless for a couple of months?

I've read the articles, but would like to hear from anyone with first hand experience. I don't mind spending the effort to trap them but I wonder if it's a waste of time if I should plan on leaving the tank fishless anyways just to be sure?

Could I leave the tank fishless and add coral/inverts?

Any thoughts/experiences would be great

Cheers

abcha0s · #2 08-14-2010, 10:50 PM

Are you sure they are isopods? Could they be amphipods?

Not all isopods are bad and very few amphipods will cause problems. The ones to look out for are the chirolandin (sp?) isopods. If you do have these, although they are fairly rare, don't put any fish in the tank unless you are sure they are gone. Trapping them might work, but will take far longer. It's definitely not worth the battle, and you may never win.

If it is any of the other species, then they are likely a welcome addition to the tank. If they bother you, consider a fish that will eat them.

Make sure your ID is accurate before taking action.

Slick Fork · #3 08-15-2010, 04:28 AM

Positive on the isopod ID, pill bug with big black eyes on top. The unknown is whether or not they are parasitic.

Kronk · #4 08-15-2010, 05:24 AM

I have TONS of isopods in my tank have had them since I bought it 5 years ago and the populations just keep growing. The back of my tank has about 10 per square inch right now. I have 2 clowns that are about 6 years old and a Blenny that has been in the tank 9 months. I would say dont worry about it.

Its not worth stressing about I think the natural ratio of herbivore to predator is always in favour of the green eaters. I have seen narly looking worms, algae, pods, etc. and in time they all either dissappeared or flourished so much that it became obvious they weren't harming anything.

Cheers,
Ken

phyto4life · #5 08-15-2010, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slick Fork

Positive on the isopod ID, pill bug with big black eyes on top. The unknown is whether or not they are parasitic.

this one is the chupa cobra because of their predator like eye's but if their eyes are on the side then they are fine

Aquattro · #6 08-15-2010, 02:12 PM

When I first added fish to my tank, I found that I had isopods in there. I used chunks of halibut in a small narrow necked spice jar and trapped them all in about 3 evenings. After that, never saw another.