I just noticed these alien looking creatures darting around in my guppy tanks. Does anyone know what these things are? They are very tiny, about the size of a pin head.
What are these?
- Thread starter aquaboyinky
- Start date
Do they all have those 2 oval sacs on the bottom? My first guess was cyclops (eucopepoda - free-living copepod), the sacs would be females carrying egg masses.
Edit.... Here we go... in order not to get a gazillion cartoon pics of cyclops, google images of cyclops copepod. Here's one:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mic...g.uk/micropolitan/fresh/arthropod/frame3.html
Edit.... Here we go... in order not to get a gazillion cartoon pics of cyclops, google images of cyclops copepod. Here's one:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mic...g.uk/micropolitan/fresh/arthropod/frame3.html
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Thanks for the link. They do look quiet similiar to the pic on your link, I have only had the chance to look at one of them so far so I am not sure if they all look alike. Are these copopeds dangerous in anyway to my fish? And if so how can I get rid of them?
As Teelie said, harmless. I have a different kind of copepod in my tanks (harpactacoid). I wouldn't mind finding a cyclops!
What magnification did you use for your pictures?
What magnification did you use for your pictures?
Well I am glad these pose no threat to my fish. Thanks for the help everyone. As for the magnification I used one of those hand held microscopes you get at Radio Shack and held my digital camera up to the lens. The magnification for the microscope is 60-100x.