Sump Critters

Laura and Jim will be hosting the May meeting this Saturday the 12th and it will be the usual of food, drinks, raffle and fun.
 
Doors will be open at 6:00 pm for social talk and the meeting will start at 7:00.  Parking gets a little tight and the city says you can't park on 4th but there is a parking lot a block away.   Meeting is usually held in the backyard so feel free to bring your favorite lawn chair, weather permitting of course.

If you need address/directions, contact a club member.

Best if you park at Mini Mall (where the spaghetti establishment use to be)
 
You will get to see his new frag tank set up in the making.
 
Hope to see you there!

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[PDAJunkie]

I have what appears to be tiny fry swimming around in my sump.  I can't imagine them being fry but they certainly do not resemble any type of copepods, as they have a definate long tail and no legs.  I took some baby brine shrimp and tried to mash it up some and put it in the sump and they really went after it.  The only "pair" of fish I have are a couple of false percs and I am not sure whether they are a "mated pair".  I have never noticed any type of spawning.  I'm at a complete loss here as it makes no sense to me, so does anyone know what these little critters swimming around the bottom of my sump could be?  Has anyone experienced this before?  Thanks.

[PDAJunkie]

PS ~ If anyone is in Kennewick and would like to come by to help me identify these critters, please feel free to give me a call @ 308-1060.  I will be here most of the day.  Thanks!

[Ed]

Richard,
    I would bet they are ampiopods, which is good.    They are little cleaners and also food for your fish.  

[PDAJunkie]

Ed,

I've got a feeling that you are right and my eyes just can't focus in on them real good.  I'm going to drop by Wal-Mart tonight after work and see if I can locate a good magnifying glass.

[Ed]

Richard,
    I am just guessing.   I could be wrong.   They could be shrimp.  If you go to Dr Rhodes site  http://www.oceanpods.com/   maybe something will look similliar.  
good luck,
Ed

[Rico]

Richard,

If you can net one, put it in a vial and bring it by, I have a microscope that we can take pictures of it.  Then post it to see if someone knows the identity.

Rick

[PDAJunkie]

Good idea Rick.  Still haven't made it up to Wal-Mart but hope to real soon.  Thanks.

[angelscrx]

So did you find out what they were?  Hopefully the conference presentation by Adelaide Friday night helped.

[PDAJunkie]

They are too big to be copepods so I am assuming that they are Amphipods.  Adelaide told me to send her a water sample, so I may do that when I get a chance.  I thought the presentation Adelaide did was really great.  It really shows that she loves her work and she passed that along in the presentaion.  I would never had thought a presentation on a 2mm 'bug' could be so interesting.  I spoke with her later and was really impressed.  The whole conference was damn impressive in my opinion :!:   Had a great time.  

[VickiG]

I agree that Adelaide was great.  You really can tell she enjoys those little bugs a LOT!   :lol:   She gave me some freshwater copepods she had 'caught' from Medical Lake (I think) and my freshwater fish went nuts for them!  I was hoping some would survive and create a food source, but don't have sump or 'fuge on my FW tank, so I think they all were eaten quite quickly.  It was interesting to watch them swimming around the tank (if only for a few minutes) :shock: .