Can someone help identify these?

leerobertslv

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I found these in my 20 gallon tank (which I am setting up for dwarf seahorses). So far...just letting the plants and purple frilly grow. It has been about a month and a half and I found a couple large versions of these hanging around (about 1/4")
1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg

and from the looks of the glass....some more coming up that are not quite as big.
First question....what are they? Will they be harmful to Dwarf seahorses? Do I need to get rid of them?
Thanks guys!
 

BighohoReef

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BUMP!

At first I thought it was a hermit without a shell... but that's not the case. First time I'm seeing these critters... Anyone help with an ID?!?! Watching I've very curious
 

Wrassedude

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looks alot like Sphaeromatic Isopods but I may be wrong. If it is Sphaeromatic Isopods they are good. Does it roll into a ball when you try to handle it?
 

mtfish

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looks alot like Sphaeromatic Isopods but I may be wrong. If it is Sphaeromatic Isopods they are good. Does it roll into a ball when you try to handle it?
Hard to be certain with this picture but I think you are correct. If so, then this is a scavenger and not parasitic.
 

KJ

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Sphaeromatid Isopod.
 
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leerobertslv

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looks alot like Sphaeromatic Isopods but I may be wrong. If it is Sphaeromatic Isopods they are good. Does it roll into a ball when you try to handle it?
I will have to try and see if it rolls in a ball. I was worried maybe they were killing off some snails...but I think they just hang around the shells.
 

KJ

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1596666878985.png
Sphaeromatid isopod good.
1596667043334.png
Cirolanid isopod bad.
 

JThw8

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Not relevant to the topic but as it was mentioned. How many dwarves do you intend to keep? 20 gallons is a HUGE tank for dwarf seahorses. In general the smaller the better because they dont hunt for their food (must be live) so they wait for it to float by. You would have to dose a huge amount of live bbs daily to get the concentration necessary for them to easily feed in that volume of water. Im currently setting up a 5 gallon for 6 horses to start with a plan on letting them naturally expand the herd to between 20 and 30 and even keeping the bbs density in that is a bit of effort.
 
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leerobertslv

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Not relevant to the topic but as it was mentioned. How many dwarves do you intend to keep? 20 gallons is a HUGE tank for dwarf seahorses. In general the smaller the better because they dont hunt for their food (must be live) so they wait for it to float by. You would have to dose a huge amount of live bbs daily to get the concentration necessary for them to easily feed in that volume of water. Im currently setting up a 5 gallon for 6 horses to start with a plan on letting them naturally expand the herd to between 20 and 30 and even keeping the bbs density in that is a bit of effort.
My plan was to do 30 or 40 in the 20. But you make a great point...may have to rethink. I have seeded it with pods....and they have been in the tank with nothing but the snails and gorgonia for about 2 months. I am still adding pods from a culture I have every so often as well. I was hoping that would supplement the bbs -- but maybe I am wrong?
 
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leerobertslv

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You guys are great. I think the verdict is in -- isopods....and the good ones. Was looking at my sponge filter today -- and there is one hanging out there. The sponge filter looks pretty clean. LOL

I forgot to ask about something else in the tank. It is tan -- at looks like "snot" hanging out on the rock. There are some columns that go up as well. Anybody know what it is? How did you get rid of it?
Here is a pic:
20200806_195629.jpg

It may be related...but there are also these long, very thin strings that I sometimes see moving around and grab onto stuff. Any ideas?
 

JThw8

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My plan was to do 30 or 40 in the 20. But you make a great point...may have to rethink. I have seeded it with pods....and they have been in the tank with nothing but the snails and gorgonia for about 2 months. I am still adding pods from a culture I have every so often as well. I was hoping that would supplement the bbs -- but maybe I am wrong?

Again, please don't take what I say as gospel, just going on what I've read and researched thus far but what I've read is that pods don't reproduce fast enough to keep up with the horses. They can decimate an entire pod population in a day. I may also just be projecting my own paranoia as we should be getting our seahorses in another week or so and I still feel so unprepared.
 

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