What The What are these

[BossLady$]

Hello everyone,

Can someone please identify these tiny little critters that have taken over my tank. They are very small and swim very fast. At first glance they almost look like tiny shrimp as if I batch of shrimp eggs hatched (I have tons of these little things). Because of their size it’s hard to take a picture so I hope this helps to identify.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

Can you catch one and try to take a picture in a container? Its to hard to tell from the picture

 

[Coralreefer1]

They are copepods or amphipods. They are reef safe good for the whole reef system and are food for various livestock.

 

[Maritimer]

If they swim over surfaces like they're on a mission, almost faster than you'd think a fish that size should be able to move, they might be mysid shrimp. They're carnivorous, so rough on copepod populations, but are considered good CUC and fine snacks for those fish who can catch them!

~Bruce

 

[BossLady$]

Yes these little buggers are extremely fast and hard to catch (I already tried). They swim over surface and are mainly on the live rock and in the sand. It seems as though I have a million in my tank right now. My tank is in fallow because of a ICK outbreak two months so there are no fish in the tank, just snails, pistol shrimp and blood fire shrimp.

 

[Maritimer]

Oh, boy are you gonna have some happy fish when they can get back in there!

The increased invert activity in the display tank is one of the few things about "fallow" that I actually enjoy.

~Bruce