Hitchhiker ID help?

[ReferReefer]

So my tank has been established for a few months, purchased my sand new from carib sea and my live rock was from a cycling bin at one of the sponsors.

Tonight while I was watching TV I saw something "flit" from one nook near my LR to another.

Thinking it was Edward PomPom Hands I hopped over to the tank and looked at the hole the movement went to.. it was much too small a hole for my crab, so I kept an eye on it.

Five minutes later I saw not one, but two hitchhikers. Couldn't get a photo of any clarity but I'll keep trying. Here is my barebones description, maybe someone knows?

not copepods, but are white/translucent like them.

Their "back" is like a crescent, legs below like a shrimp or crab, moves FAST.
size is maybe 1/5 inches long and skinny.

The "back" while rounded has white and brown/black bands on it. Easilly about half the size of a sexi shrimp (and the only reason I'd notice something that small moving in my tank is because it is a 3g picotope, and since it has no fish, any movement stands out

obligatory picture below of the tank once dusk hit tonight...

 

[ReferReefer]

.. ignore the float switch in the upper right still trying to figure out a good way to disguise it.....

 

[fanaglethebagle]

If they are very small it sounds like amphipods

 

[reeferpj]

tank look great. check this site out i keep it in my favorites just for this reason

 

[reeferpj]

oops oh ya the site http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html

 

[coralcor]

.. ignore the float switch in the upper right still trying to figure out a good way to disguise it.....

coraline algae will disguise it... just takes time

 

[ReferReefer]

If they are very small it sounds like amphipods

Just googled the pictures... looks like you might be right.. damn they look like they're the size of beetles in my tank!

regards,
lee

 

[ReferReefer]

oops oh ya the site http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html

woah, awesome sight... just bookmarked it myself too!

Regards,
Lee

 

[ReferReefer]

Ok so I set my fingers on cruise control and I saw some conflicting information on how zoa safe these hitchikers might be.

Some people swear they're safe, others say they only bother "hurt" zoas, some say they will munch a zoa if they're adults and hungry..whats the general consensus here?

..and if they are bad news, anyone have a decent way to control them in a 3g tank scenario? (calling all TangPolice! )

 

[fanaglethebagle]

I can see them being easy to blame if your zoos are doing poorly but I seriously doubt it's their fault.

 

[ReferReefer]

Zoa's aren't doing badly, but the tank is relatively young..

have four little zoa frags, one from skiptons and three from PVH.. the blowpops from PVH have been unhappy last two days, everyone else has been doing fine.

water parameters are good: 0 trates/trites/amm/p04
400 ca
salinity 1.025
temp 79-81 daily, fan and heater @ work.
ato keeps the evap in check....

i'll keep an eye on the blowpops and maybe move them off the sand bed incase something down there is bugging them

 

[Blueflu1]

Zoa's aren't doing badly, but the tank is relatively young..

have four little zoa frags, one from skiptons and three from PVH.. the blowpops from PVH have been unhappy last two days, everyone else has been doing fine.

water parameters are good: 0 trates/trites/amm/p04
400 ca
salinity 1.025
temp 79-81 daily, fan and heater @ work.
ato keeps the evap in check....

i'll keep an eye on the blowpops and maybe move them off the sand bed incase something down there is bugging them

are the blowpops getting direct flow? They could be getting aggrivated if they are getting blown too much.

 

[Jennifer]

Sounds just like an amphipod to me as well.

They are beneficial to reef tanks as part of the clean up crew.
They do eat zoa's but only after the zoa is dead or almost dead.
I have never witnessed amphipods to bother healthy zoa's.

 

[ReferReefer]

are the blowpops getting direct flow? They could be getting aggrivated if they are getting blown too much.

not direct flow, but i do have quite a bit of flow in thetank... ill put them in a more secluded spot this morning and give them a day or two to settle down.

regards,
lee

 

[willray]

.. ignore the float switch in the upper right still trying to figure out a good way to disguise it.....

Super glue rock rubble,zoas... to it.

 

[ReferReefer]

zoas... theres an idea! haha