ID Help desparately needed please

[returnofsid]

Hi all,
I recently picked up a few corals from a close friend, along with a small clam. All corals were dipped, as they were removed from the friend's tank. He's very conscious about dipping anything entering or leaving his system, as a precautionary treatment. Nothing was discovered, during dip treatment, with Melafix.
However, something (quite a few somethings) was discovered when we placed the clam in a container with tank water (No treatment). Before I put this clam in my system, I'd really like to figure out what this is. As a physical description, it's itsy bitsy...lol. I'd guess smaller than 1/16" of an inch. Appears to maybe be a shelled animal, but moves quickly, like a pod. I took several macro pictures of it, and cropped them A LOT. Two pictures remain uncropped and one of those includes a finger tip, for possible size comparison. No, I didn't cut anyone's finger tip off....lol. I'm kind of leaning towards Isopod. I'm also wondering what I could treat the clam with, before adding to my system, as a precautionary treatment. Anything I need to be concerned about?

Uncropped image

Cropped of above

The color you see, at the rear, is just light from room, reflectin.

 

[Jeremym420]

Looks like a fish lice to me. Anyone else got a guess? Also, dipping corals in melafix prolly won't do anything.

 

[cherokee_dude]

Freshwater dip couldn't hurt either.

 

[Jeremym420]

You definately do not want to freshwater dip any corals or clams. If you meant freshwater dipping the fish lice, that would be a fine way to kill it.

 

[sleeper]

I probably wouldn't freshwater dip a clam (I don't keep clams so I don't have any experience with them) But I can tell you that I have dipped many corals in freshwater to remove creepy crawleys without any negative effects. I use RODI and at the same temp as my tankwater.

 

[AlexStinson]

Why would you not want to freshwater dip a clam? That's by far the best way to cure many clam diseases.... especially in this case where the clam (I assume) would be healthy enough to take the freshwater dip. (I once accidentally did a 24hr freshwater dip with great results... though I wouldnt repeat that!)

You definately do not want to freshwater dip any corals or clams. If you meant freshwater dipping the fish lice, that would be a fine way to kill it.

 

[miyags]

looks like a fluke. pulled one off a seahorse years ago. just a guess ? the fluke might of been more solid in color?

 

[Jeremym420]

Why would you not want to freshwater dip a clam? That's by far the best way to cure many clam diseases.... especially in this case where the clam (I assume) would be healthy enough to take the freshwater dip. (I once accidentally did a 24hr freshwater dip with great results... though I wouldnt repeat that!)

Some others need to chime in here, but i have a very hard time believing a saltwater clam survived a 24 hour freshwater dip. Freshwater dips should be a last resort, as it causes the animal even more stress. It really should be used as a last resort. In my experience, dipping corals in freshwater is not a good idea, and should be avoided. Same goes for clams and other inverts.

 

[subielover]

Looks like a chiton to me.

 

[mgdmirage]

Can you get an upside down macro Michael? Definitely looks like an isopod of some sort, very similar looking to this antartic isopod. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...species/images/primary/crustacean-picture.jpg

 

[Azurel]

I have seen a few of those in my tank and haven't seen any issue....But nothing wrong with being cautious...There are so many possibilities that it is hard to say if it is a predatory isopod or not. As many are not predatory in nature, I would just take a toothbrush to the shell of the clam scrub it in some tank water and iodine. then check to see if it clean and place in your tank. I wouldn't FW dip if you don't have to it can cause undo stress on the clam.

 

[Sikryd]

Freshwater dips for clams is fine. I do a 30min dip prior to entry in QT.

 

[returnofsid]

I wouldn't even FW dip a clam, unless it was as a last resport, for PM.

Chuck helped me figure it out. My first though, of an Isopod, was correct.

A member of the Sphaeromatidae (Isopod).

Hitch Hiking Copepods, Isopods and Amphipods

 

[Reef Pets]

I freshwater dip anything and everything (including clams) with the exception of SPS. I have always found freshwater dipping to be the first resort. It is stressful on the coral but so is several iodine dips, peroxide dips, conditioner dips and so on. I feel that its less stressful on the coral to dip it once in freshwater than it is to dip the coral in 3 or 4 different chemicals over a period of a weeking hoping that something works. Myself, I do all of the dips at once... For example, when I get in colonies of zoas I take them out of the shipping bag, then do a peroxide dip, then an iodine dip, then a freshwater dip with iodine in it. Yes, its can be stressful on the coral but thats better than taking chances of pests or disease that can be stressful on your entire system. On the other hand, it cant be too hard on them, they always open back up the same day.

 

[returnofsid]

I also do a FW dip on several different things, but have never attempted to on a clam. However, I did just talk to a LFS, who has several HUGE clams. He told me that once a year, he used to lug them outside, take a wire brush to their shells, while rinsing them with the garden hose. Cold Fresh Water...lol. His clams are now too large for him to remove from the tank...lol.

I also agree with dipping everything at once, if possible. For instance, with Zoanthids, and SPS, I'll dip in a strong Lugols, for 20 minutes, then strong melafix for 20 minutes. Then I do a 5 minute FW dip with Zoanthids.