Cirolanidisopodophobia

[jck16]

Ok, so I just found out about these guys and now I'm freaking out because I know I put an isopod into the tank after buying a bunch of amphipods/copepods from an online vendor. I was trying not to put him in but I was getting greedy and tried to get the amphipods at the bottom of the bag and he slipped in. Didn't think much of it but then I found out about the Cirolanid isopods.

I know I had a definite Cirolanid (had huge ugly eyes) with the live rock that I was able to capture when I first set up my tank when I was trying to get out other pests and subsequently threw into the sump because it didn't look like a good hitchhiker.

The problem is, I can't remember how this isopod looks like. I THINK it's a sphaeromatid after looking at pictures, but it could just be my own wishful thinking. My seahorses and mandarin haven't really been acting different after I added him in but I'm only just starting to observe them at night. I'm pretty sure I saw him last night after the lights went out but he zipped in a rock when I shone a light at him and so I wasn't able to get a good look at him. I was planning to pull that rock and dunk it in hypersaline water when I saw him, but I had a headache and went to bed instead. :sleeping: I didn't see any sign of him on the fish this morning with the lights out.

Should I be right to freak out or should I not stress out and just hope it's a good scavenging isopod (since I mean, it came w/ a pod shipment)?

 

[KathyC]

To be on the safe side, if you see him zip into a rock again, you might want to do a dip on that rock and be able to sleep better at night.

 

[fishman1069]

+1 Those buggers can be nasty

 

[jck16]

I've got a batch of hypersaline water ready already. But I'd like to first get a good look at the pod before I reach in and mess up my rockwork to look for those big haunting eyes...

I mean, let's say I don't do anything though. First of all, I guess the possibility is there but it's weird anyway that a parasitic isopod would come in with an order of amphipods and copepods (and a little messed up if you think about it). I've read that the benign sphaeromatid isopod is a fast swimmer which doesn't rule it out and the once I have is <1cm in length which also counts toward it being benign. Finally, I have yet to notice any lacerations, odd spots, or overall changes in my fish's appetites and behavior in the last 2 weeks since I added it in.

Just trying to weigh the odds of it not being a Cirolanid isopod. Then again, it could be a pregnant female and then I'm already ****ed.

 

[KathyC]

I've got a batch of hypersaline water ready already. But I'd like to first get a good look at the pod before I reach in and mess up my rockwork to look for those big haunting eyes...

I mean, let's say I don't do anything though. First of all, I guess the possibility is there but it's weird anyway that a parasitic isopod would come in with an order of amphipods and copepods (and a little messed up if you think about it). I've read that the benign sphaeromatid isopod is a fast swimmer which doesn't rule it out and the once I have is <1cm in length which also counts toward it being benign. Finally, I have yet to notice any lacerations, odd spots, or overall changes in my fish's appetites and behavior in the last 2 weeks since I added it in.

Just trying to weigh the odds of it not being a Cirolanid isopod. Then again, it could be a pregnant female and then I'm already ****ed.

Yep, that about covers it lol Between a rock and a hard place!

Have you read this article?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/bp/index.php

Maybe the trap might be a good idea for you? if you do catch it 9if it is there) as least you can get a solid ID on it?

 

[jck16]

Okay so tbh I haven't really been watching my tank during the night... I've kind of convinced myself that the isopod I added was a sphaeromatid otherwise I'd be ****ed by now. I did read everything out there on cirolanids including the above article. The only thing preventing me from doing the stinky water method is I don't trust any of the rubber bands I have to be completely clean so I'm considering finding some fine plastic screening and making a modified version of that trap without using a rubber band.