Pods are bad?

[Tremayn]

I was watching a documentary the other day on NatGeo about Marlin and a scientist was discussing why Marlins jump out of the water. So he said one reason could be that the Marlins are trying to get rid of copepods on them. He said because copepods are basically like sea lice and can dig into the skin of the Marlin and basically be like a parasite.

Very interesting seeming that everyone wants a good POD population. So who knows, this mite even be a problem that no one has realised yet.. What are you guys input and experiences on this? Does this only effect huge Marlins or could the PODs attack your prized tang? Im thinking that cleaner shrimp could be removing pods from fish before they become a problem...

 

[dallasg]

everything has a place in the ocean, some good and some bad, and some play both roles.
there are many species of cope-pods and the ones we get are both good and bad, same at bristle-worms etc. but rather have them then not. yes cleaner shrimps could be removing them, but we use them to remove detritus etc

 

[Tremayn]

True, and I havn't heard of anyone mentioning pods hurting fish. Although one should also keep a look out for this I guess

 

[Nemos Janitor]

That is an interesting point. Dr Gerald Bassleer states in his book "Diseases in marine aquarium fish" that Copepods are not parasites but substrate eaters. He gos on to say that they are found in poorly maintained aqueria and that they upset and disturb the aquarium equilibrium by reducing oxygen levels.....

Hmm...... interesting....

 

[RiaanP]

Isopods or Amphipods

Amphipods mostly detritus eaters
Isopods can be herbivorous (kelp louse) or carnivours (fish louse).

Most likely revered to fish louse or related species.

 

[Tremayn]

sad reefer: Why does my flame angel keep jumping out of my tank? lol

 

[dallasg]

many reasons, my one clown fish did this for 2 days and never again, both times i happened to be near... i put it down to being spooked from the lights

 

[magman]

I think it is a million other parasites the guy got mistaken with and thought they were copepods. An interesting thing though, how do game fish get cleaned (excluding at the ski boat club). The reef species all have cleaning stations, sharks have remoras, what happens to gamefish?

 

[MistaOrange]

Well wouldn't you jump out of the water if you had this hanging on you?

I would shit myself big bricks if this thing was hanging on me that's for sure:arghh::scared:

 

[Tremayn]

Well wouldn't you jump out of the water if you had this hanging on you?

I would shit myself big bricks if this thing was hanging on me that's for sure:arghh::scared:

Hahaha

 

[Tremayn]

I think it is a million other parasites the guy got mistaken with and thought they were copepods. An interesting thing though, how do game fish get cleaned (excluding at the ski boat club). The reef species all have cleaning stations, sharks have remoras, what happens to gamefish?

Well they showed like a little video on copepods to explain what they were... however I do agree with you. Marlins are pretty much on their own. Stock up on extra cleaner shrimp guys

 

[Dane]

Dallasg is correct. There are many species of both amphipods and isopods. Some are parasitic. We disected shark in our marine bio pracs at langebaan and many had some nasty pod parasites. Some of the fish we dissected had an amazing pod that consumes and replaces (completely functionally) the fishes tongue! Bizzare stuff.

However, the vast majority of the pod species in our tanks are beneficial, little detritavores. So don't worry about these guys suddenly turning into fish eating zombies. That doesnt mean that theres no chance of a wild caught fish bringing in some nasties to your tank.

 

[Tremayn]

Shew I feel better. Just another reason to leave wild caught specimens in quarantine for a looooong time!

 

[Dane]

I would say a better reason to only buy captive bred specimens and leave the wild caught ones in the ocean.

 

[magman]

Well they showed like a little video on copepods to explain what they were... however I do agree with you.

I can imagine a fishing mate of mine taking on a marlin (Stringbean), but a copepod, na boet!!! you on your own planet.

Dallasg is correct. There are many species of both amphipods and isopods. Some are parasitic. We disected shark in our marine bio pracs at langebaan and many had some nasty pod parasites. Some of the fish we dissected had an amazing pod that consumes and replaces (completely functionally) the fishes tongue! Bizzare stuff.

Agreed bud, there is some weird stuff in our tanks, and unfortunatly only the good gets posted on here, the bad gets all blamed on white spot!!!

That doesnt mean that theres no chance of a wild caught fish bringing in some nasties to your tank.

will add rep for that!!! Not everything in the sea lives on lucozade!!!

 

[MistaOrange]

I can imagine a fishing mate of mine taking on a marlin (Stringbean), but a copepod, na boet!!! you on your own planet.



Agreed bud, there is some weird stuff in our tanks, and unfortunatly only the good gets posted on here, the bad gets all blamed on white spot!!!

True

will add rep for that!!! Not everything in the sea lives on lucozade!!!

LOL they just take a redbull then they can fly like when that barracuda jumped out of the water attacking that girl... Redbull gives you wings

 

[Tremayn]

I can imagine a fishing mate of mine taking on a marlin (Stringbean), but a copepod, na boet!!! you on your own planet.



Agreed bud, there is some weird stuff in our tanks, and unfortunatly only the good gets posted on here, the bad gets all blamed on white spot!!!


will add rep for that!!! Not everything in the sea lives on lucozade!!!

They were trying to find out why Marlins jump out of the water. So he said a reason could be because of copepods digging into their skin

 

[gaboon]

Some of the fish we dissected had an amazing pod that consumes and replaces (completely functionally) the fishes tongue!

Please elaborate.

 

[Dane]

Please elaborate.

Functionally the same isopod as C. exigua > [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymothoa_exigua"]Cymothoa exigua - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/Filearasitic_isopod_600.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Parasitic_isopod_600.jpg/220px-Parasitic_isopod_600.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/4/4b/Parasitic_isopod_600.jpg/220px-Parasitic_isopod_600.jpg[/ame]

They're not nearly as rare as the wikipedia articles makes out... Just goes to show you cant trust everything you read on wikipedia ;-) The ones we dissected were sized between a R2 and a R5 coin. Equally nasty looking tho.

 

[gaboon]

Incredible!