Copepods and Worms

[jb61264]

Is there a good reference somewhere that has pictures of various copepods and worms that one is likely to encounter when setting up a reef?

I hear about the benefits of having copepods and worms all the time but I've also seen these little "traps" for "bristle worms" that make me wonder if some copepods and worms are good while others are bad?

 

[Bifferwine]

Check out Melev's Reef - Visual Identification

Bristleworms are good. They are some of the best scavengers and cleaners you can have in your tank. They are a sign of a healthy tank. I guarantee, if you look at your rocks and sand at night with a flashlight, you will see tons of bristleworms. The only time I have removed them from my tank (using one of those traps or just a pair of tweezers and my lightning fast cat like reflexes) are when they get CREEPY big, like 8 inches plus. They are still good -- but at that point they are just disgusting looking. That's when I take them out of my display tank and throw them in the fuge.

If you find bristleworms, leave them in. Most pods are also good. There are a couple kinds of "pest" isopods, and those pics can be found on the page I linked to above.

 

[reeffreak]

I doubt if you find a website that list all of them.There are thousands of species.WetWebMedia.com and Reefkeeping.com are some good places to look.

 

[bobby]

Heres another for you.Hitch Hiking Copepods, Isopods and Amphipods