[Powder Blue]

I put my Morish Idol and Regal Tang in my QT tank to treat for White Spot 2 days ago. Yesterday when I got home I noticed a lot of particles in the water. At a closer look I noticed that they are not particles but actual swimming animals. Very small about the size of a grain of sand with a tail like looking line extending out. They are very difficult to study with the naked eye. +- 300 of them maybe more.

I caught a few in a tube and transfered them to a drinking glass for a closer look. They jump forward in small rapid movements and also swim smoothly at times. I thought I made out an eye or two. I do not have a magnifying glass unfortunatly to really see.

They have only appeared since putting the 2 fish in. Before, the was empty for a month. I did a water change 3 days ago.

Any ideas? Plankton, fry or what?

Sam

[zhenya]

Hi Sam,

What type of water you are using for w/changes? If natural sea water then perhaps you got some mysid shrimp swimming in there. Just a guess but I intentionally put some in my sump some time ago and now they are in some numbers swimming everywhere in the tank. Mostly at night but even during daylight hours I see them on occasion scattering along the sand bed.

[Powder Blue]

Hi Gene,

Yip I do sea water changes and did a couple of 20% changes before the Morish and Regal went in. The Nitrates were a bit high. I put the water in a few hours after collecting it as I knew if there were any Tommites floating around it wouldn't matter as the copper would kill them anyways.

I usually let the sea water stand for a week before doing a main tank change. That seems to keep the white spot out. These little critters are very small. Battle to see them with any detail with my naked eyes. There were many and now there seem to be a lot less.I guess the copper is wiping them out to. Do your shrimp breed and multiply and do any of the fish eat them. I wonder if they got into the main, if they would be a problem?

Regards
Sam

[Powder Blue]

Just a small chance I thought I may have had a few hundred little Moorish Idols or Regals swimming around if they were live bearers. Both fish are from the ocean and new(month since I got them).

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Powder Blue

Just a small chance I thought I may have had a few hundred little Moorish Idols or Regals swimming around if they were live bearers. Both fish are from the ocean and new(month since I got them).

I don't believe any of this fish are live bearers.They spawn like most other fish and in case of the Surgeonfish the eggs hatch in like two days and complete planktonic stage lasts about 10 weeks according to Rudie Kuiter.co-author of the book "Sergeonfishes,Rabbitfishes and their relatives".
Neat little book and nice to have if you are keeping any of those aformentioned fish.
More then likely, what you saw was some sort of zooplankton,IMHO.

Originally Posted by Powder Blue

Do your shrimp breed and multiply and do any of the fish eat them. I wonder if they got into the main, if they would be a problem?

Like I said before, I only put abot 6 or so in my sump(overflow actually) and now there are literally handreds of them so,yes, they multiply very successfully in my tank and I assume that some fish eat them but I'm not sure since I never witnessed with my own eyes. I have a small wrasse that I'm sure is hunting them but he does sleep at night