"Worms" in Copepod Culture? (Video)

mooseymoose · Apr 29, 2022

Long time reader of R2R first time poster! I started a new copepod culture on Wednesday (first time) with cultures from Poseidon Reef Systems. I figured I'd see if anyone can ID these little worm-like critters that are growing like crazy in the culture before I pester them with the question. My first thought is they look kind of like rotifers, but they seem a bit big to me. I would pull out the microscope but I don't want to risk contaminating the culture dipping my hand in to get a sample, if they turn out to be fine.

I started Phyto culture and copepod culture at the same time with the same fresh saltwater from my LFS, the Phyto culture has no critters in it at all and growing great, but the copepod culture has tons of these little worms, I am visibly seeing more pods each day and the water is clearing up, but I don't know whether these guys are going to outcompete the pods or if they are just irritating to look at. Since they are not in the phyto, I'm working under the assumption that they came in with the copepod culture and should be harmless, but my anxiety's got the better of me.

I've done a lot of searching but have come up short. Pods show up a couple of times in the video, they are Tisbe pods (for scale). I estimate them (the "worms") to be about 0.5-2mm

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

vetteguy53081 · Apr 29, 2022

mooseymoose said:
Long time reader of R2R first time poster! I started a new copepod culture on Wednesday (first time) with cultures from Poseidon Reef Systems. I figured I'd see if anyone can ID these little worm-like critters that are growing like crazy in the culture before I pester them with the question. My first thought is they look kind of like rotifers, but they seem a bit big to me. I would pull out the microscope but I don't want to risk contaminating the culture dipping my hand in to get a sample, if they turn out to be fine.

I started Phyto culture and copepod culture at the same time with the same fresh saltwater from my LFS, the Phyto culture has no critters in it at all and growing great, but the copepod culture has tons of these little worms, I am visibly seeing more pods each day and the water is clearing up, but I don't know whether these guys are going to outcompete the pods or if they are just irritating to look at. Since they are not in the phyto, I'm working under the assumption that they came in with the copepod culture and should be harmless, but my anxiety's got the better of me.

I've done a lot of searching but have come up short. Pods show up a couple of times in the video, they are Tisbe pods (for scale). I estimate them (the "worms") to be about 0.5-2mm

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Between fuzzy at times with camera moving, may be planaria

Jay'sReefBugs · Apr 30, 2022

Either contamination from the saltwater at the LFS or the copepods them self . They are 100% not rotifers but I'm unsure of exactly what they are unfortunately

Fishy888 · May 21, 2022

I vote planaria.

mooseymoose · May 25, 2022

Thank you for all the replies. I haven't had any issues with this T. biminiensis culture (have done 100% changes every week since), but I ended up buying an extra clean jug at the LFS using their water and haven't noticed as many present in my culture. My best guess is somehow some pests survived being dried out after water changes + R/O water afterwards. My phyto had ended up crashing after I made this post, but after a brand new jug everything was fine.