Isopods

[flinster]

Added my first fish to my new tanks a few days ago…a clownfish pair. They went through QT. Tank was cycled half using Florida aquacultured rock, the other half dry rock. Obviously they came in on he live rock. When I went down to check on them yesterday morning, I swear I saw something on them, but it was early and when I checked them again, nothing. Tank sat fishless for a couple of weeks. Thankfully, I have the fish in an acclimation/observation container, so catching them was easy and the isopods dropped off of the fish quickly. I know they aren’t harmless, but the rock supplier says they will not kill the fish and that they will die off in the system. Attached is a video. I saw 2 on them yesterday morning and these two again this AM. What’s the likelihood that these are the only 2?


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[flinster]

View attachment 20260222_065934_FDA91D50-DA7E-4021-A612-B87798F68DAC.mov

 

[vetteguy53081]

Added my first fish to my new tanks a few days ago…a clownfish pair. They went through QT. Tank was cycled half using Florida aquacultured rock, the other half dry rock. Obviously they came in on he live rock. When I went down to check on them yesterday morning, I swear I saw something on them, but it was early and when I checked them again, nothing. Tank sat fishless for a couple of weeks. Thankfully, I have the fish in an acclimation/observation container, so catching them was easy and the isopods dropped off of the fish quickly. I know they aren’t harmless, but the rock supplier says they will not kill the fish and that they will die off in the system. Attached is a video. I saw 2 on them yesterday morning and these two again this AM. What’s the likelihood that these are the only 2?


View attachment 1771761516

Remove any Isopods you see. While this one may be harmless, there are varieties which are parasitic and will get into mouths of fish and steal foods, get into gills and even suck blood out .

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Added my first fish to my new tanks a few days ago…a clownfish pair. They went through QT. Tank was cycled half using Florida aquacultured rock, the other half dry rock. Obviously they came in on he live rock. When I went down to check on them yesterday morning, I swear I saw something on them, but it was early and when I checked them again, nothing. Tank sat fishless for a couple of weeks. Thankfully, I have the fish in an acclimation/observation container, so catching them was easy and the isopods dropped off of the fish quickly. I know they aren’t harmless, but the rock supplier says they will not kill the fish and that they will die off in the system. Attached is a video. I saw 2 on them yesterday morning and these two again this AM. What’s the likelihood that these are the only 2?


View attachment 1771761516

Those look like the typical Cirolanid isopods seen on fresh gulf rock. Here is a thread about them:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cirolanid-isopods-id.1019743/