[Tie]

I was staring at my tank very closely late tonight checking out the Coraline Algae. And I noticed a little critter dash across the rock. This dude was very small and very fast I watched for awhile longer and to my surprise there are a bunch of these dudes dashing in and out of holes in the LR.

I grabbed my camera and took a couple of pics. It was hard to get any good shots cuz they moved in and out of sight so fast.

I notice they all have long antennas and the back quarter of their body curls downward. Hard to tell but they look like they have tons of legs and to my surprise one lep up off the sand and swam very fast in a kinda weird wiggly way to a rock about 8 inches above it.

At first I thought tiny shrimp but then I started to think no. I dunno, I've never seen shrimp that small but could be.

Yeah, it's not nearly as cool as Gene's purple plating Montipora. but what ever it is I'm glad to finaly have something more interesting to look at then just hair algae.

LOL, yup.. I'm a newb!

[Drummer]

Would your little friends be Copepods ?

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Tie

Yeah, it's not nearly as cool as Gene's purple plating Montipora. but what ever it is I'm glad to finaly have something more interesting to look at then just hair algae.

Tie, check out this site if you need id for little or the large critters that might appear in your tank.
http://www.rshimek.com/Invertebrate%...jor%20Taxa.htm

You can also follow links therein for more information.

FWIW, I think the organism in your picture is an amphipod:
http://www.rshimek.com/images/Aug%208/AMPHIPOD.jpg

[Poseidon]

I agree amphipod... Great fish food, Mandarin's and tangs and clowns, damsels... they love the little buggers. BTW they will freak you out the first time you fell one crawling on your hand after moving a rock... LOL