Need some help

Will_W

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To start off my tank stats are
10 gallon reef tank with a HOB refugium.

Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0.00
Nitrates: 0.00
Nitrites: 0.00
Ph: 8.2
(Waiting on new magnesium, calcium, alk and phosphate test to come in)

Livestock:
2 ocellaris clowns
(Planning on a goby pistol shrimp pair)

2 white clawed hermits
1 Halloween hermit
2 cerith Snails
1 Turbo snail
1 Florida ricordia mushroom
3 zoa frags
1 hammer coral

Story time
So over the past week I noticed that there was an enormous amount of pods all over the tank. Rock work, glass, sand bed, literally everywhere. They are crawling over everything and messing with my coral/mushroom/zoas. They are seen over everything and I know the fish will eat them but not at the rate they are overwhelming. They are very small white pods I suspect a type of copepod that made it through the coral dip and set up shop.

What are my options? Get a pod eating fish of some sort? Or some sort of invert?

Any advice or guidance would be extremely helpful since I'm pretty new to the saltwater keeping hobby
 

Lavey29

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A pod population will only be as large as its available food source. They are beneficial for your tank and yes fish eat them. They do not eat healthy corals but may eat algae off corals or eat dying corals.

If you have 0 nitrates and phosphate your tank is destined for big problems.
 
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Will_W

Will_W

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A pod population will only be as large as its available food source. They are beneficial for your tank and yes fish eat them. They do not eat healthy corals but may eat algae off corals or eating dying corals.

A pod population will only be as large as its available food source. They are beneficial for your tank and yes fish eat them. They do not eat healthy corals but may eat algae off corals or eat dying corals.

If you have 0 nitrates and phosphate your tank is destined for big problems.
I use the api saltwater kit and it shows 0.00 but i feel i feed a tad heavy so I would suspect its below 5ppm but that's the next interval on the kit. Maybe I need to change test kits?
 

Lavey29

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I use the api saltwater kit and it shows 0.00 but i feel i feed a tad heavy so I would suspect its below 5ppm but that's the next interval on the kit. Maybe I need to change test kits?
Quality test kits are essential. If you bottom out your nitrates and phosphate you open the door for bad algae problems. Try feeding the fish more and see if numbers come up. I feed heavy twice sometimes 3 times a day.
 

BroccoliFarmer

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+1 on the nitrate conversation. Get them up to detectable or you get the dinos!! Not Fun.

As far as the copapods..enjoy them while they last. They are a great clean up crew and a food source for many fish. Their population will naturally regulate. Nothing you need to do.
 
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