Isopod attached to tang?

[Gone Reefin’]

So…set up a new tank 3 months ago. All live rock from TBS and GLR. Made a commitment that I was going to QT every new fish for 30+ days in true hypo (1.009) to avoid disease as fish will be the showpiece of this new tank. Second fish was added tonight (gem tang). First fish was a baby clown trigger and doing fine.

Within 3 hours of adding tang (lights out) I see a pretty big pod attached to his dorsal fin. How much concern here? Will it be gone in morning? Sucks this is the reward for patience and QT, guessing this pod(s) came in with LR. Reading a lot of mixed comments, posts here. Some say to remove fish and QT, this is not my preferred plan as these fish have already been through QT….

 

[KrisReef]

They can be removed with a freshwater dip, (no longer than 5 minutes).

Sorry about this hitchhiker. Last one I read about let go after a few seconds in fresh water.

 

[P-Dub]

So…set up a new tank 3 months ago. All live rock from TBS and GLR. Made a commitment that I was going to QT every new fish for 30+ days in true hypo (1.009) to avoid disease as fish will be the showpiece of this new tank. Second fish was added tonight (gem tang). First fish was a baby clown trigger and doing fine.

Within 3 hours of adding tang (lights out) I see a pretty big pod attached to his dorsal fin. How much concern here? Will it be gone in morning? Sucks this is the reward for patience and QT, guessing this pod(s) came in with LR. Reading a lot of mixed comments, posts here. Some say to remove fish and QT, this is not my preferred plan as these fish have already been through QT….

Your best bet is to quarantine both fish again and allow the parasitic pod’s lifecycle to run its course until it can no longer re-establish itself—assuming it’s an obligate parasitic isopod. Keep in mind that other families, such as Aegidae and Gnathiidae, behave differently.

Aegids are temporary parasites or micropredators. They attach to a host fish only for short feeding bouts—similar to a mosquito—and are free-living the rest of the time. Gnathiids are parasitic only during their larval stages. Adults are free-living and do not feed at all. Because of these differences, alternative tactics may be necessary to combat them.

It would be very helpful to get a clear photo of the organism to better determine the best course of action.

Or, take the less stressful advice @KrisReef has given and hope no other pods are roaming. It's a solid option as it is statistically unlikely there will be another.

 

[Gone Reefin’]

Thanks Kris and P-dub for the ideas and detailed responses. I decided to wait out the night. This morning when I went to grab a pic, it’s gone!

Assume this is a good thing?! As P-dub wrote, maybe one of those mosquitoes?! It was attached for at least 4 hours last night. In doing more research last night before I took a pic, it did not look like a Cirro Isopod. I could not see the large dark spots for eyes. It really looked like a large amphipod, but oddly that is the first I’ve seen of that size in my tank. It was about 7-9 mm if I had to guess.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I had one. I did nothing and it dropped off the next day, I saw it one other time, then nothing.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randys-tank-and-learn-thread.1103636/page-66#post-13650660

 

[P-Dub]

Thanks Kris and P-dub for the ideas and detailed responses. I decided to wait out the night. This morning when I went to grab a pic, it’s gone!

Assume this is a good thing?! As P-dub wrote, maybe one of those mosquitoes?! It was attached for at least 4 hours last night. In doing more research last night before I took a pic, it did not look like a Cirro Isopod. I could not see the large dark spots for eyes. It really looked like a large amphipod, but oddly that is the first I’ve seen of that size in my tank. It was about 7-9 mm if I had to guess.

Well, that's great news! Might end up pulling the same stunt as the one on @Randy Holmes-Farley tang did. Hopefully, you'll never see it again. There is no symbiosis with these guys.

 

[P-Dub]

I had one. I did nothing and it dropped off the next day, I saw it one other time, then nothing.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randys-tank-and-learn-thread.1103636/page-66#post-13650660

Great shot @Randy Holmes-Farley !!!