I have a critter keeper with some java moss and a moss ball that is sponge filtered and temporarily housing my red cherry shrimp. The other day while cleaning the bottom waste out I noticed a ton of these tiny critters. Both plants were from an established system that did not appear to have any of these in it.
Appear to be copepods. They reproduce quickly and are quite harmless. IN a tank with fish they would hardly ever be seen as most would end up as fish food...
Where would they have come from since these plants have been in with the shrimp for about a month and none have shown up until recently? Just good at hiding?
They could have come from either plant. Well, the moss or the algae. (moss ball)
They are pretty normal in most tanks. Best way of getting rid of them is to get fish... although any fish that would eat those would also eat, at minimum, baby shrimp.
I have also seen a rapid decline of these dosing a tank with H2O2. H2O2 does have the capability of killing shrimp as well, so if used, caution needs to be used. Algae especially does not like H2O2, however it appears as if my moss balls survived. (so far)
+1 on them being copepods. If you don't mind the way the look, copepods are harmless filter feeders. If you do they make a great fish food - almost as good as daphnia. It'll take a brine shrimp net to catch them though.
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