Omg - What Are They?

[lgarvey]

I dropped a couple of crab pellets in the tank to keep the inverts going whilst the fish are in a hospital tank being treated for white spot.

Anyway, as usual two bristleworms appeared, then I saw this tiny thing shoot across the tank. It's about 3 mm long, looks kind of like a shrimp / small crustaceon with two or more tentacles, and legs. It's about the size of a crab cuisine pellet, but it wrestled the pellet and carried it (at speed) across the tank to its lair.

Then, loads more of them appeared from a rock.

What are they? They seem fiesty, and there's quite a few of them.

 

[-Nemo-]

Most likely either some sort of pod bug (copepod.. isopod... amphripod... etc.) or just a small crustacean like a mysid shrimp. Good either way
I'm sure the fish enjoy eating them!

 

[AK77]

I have loads of them in my tank. They really like living in chaetomorpha algae, mainly because it acts like a filter and collects a lot of food particles and provides protection from most predators.

 

[chr15_8]

ive got loads in my tank aswell, mainly seem them at night. dont seem to be doing harm and as nemo pointed out im sure the fish will enjoy eating them.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

yeah most likely pods and they are a good thing to have. have a look in your tank with a flashlight a couple of hours after the lights have gone off and you should see quite a few.