# Copepods Infestation in tank!



## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

After making a post on the forum here and someone kindly linked me to a site to help me identify what the heck was in my tank I discovered I have copepods lots and lots of copepods. There has to be someway to get rid of them....right? Please tell me theres a way..:lol: 

even my sister came over today...looked in my tank and went D: OMG what is in your tank!!?!

There is that many of them...yep...I did a little bit of a search in google, but most places I read people saying they're a good sign and it's cheap food for the fish....but...my fish wont eat them!



How can I get rid of these?Should I take my fish out of the tank? He doesn't seem to mind them being there in his tank, infact...he has made the biggest bubble nest I have ever seen.:lol:


The only things I recently changed in my tank: I switch my gravel to sand, I got a mystery snail, and I got some more anacharis.
:-?


they look just like this...but whiiite.

http://centexnaturalist.com/foldermainmenus/sfaquaticinvertebrates/foldercopepods/cope01.html


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

He may be eating some, but a small number. Live food would definitely make him feel good and want to breed though!


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

shinybetta said:


> He may be eating some, but a small number. Live food would definitely make him feel good and want to breed though!


Good point!:lol: I have yet to see him eat any of them though...but they are real small! unfortunately theres just sooo many of them!:lol:


Has anyone ever had a problem with these before?Has anyone ever successfully gotten rid of them?:lol::-?


I did a 80% water change earlier today and it didn't seem to effect the copepods, theyre still heavily populating my tank.:lol:


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

Couldn't you just take everything out of the tank rinse and/or bleach it. Wash the tank out with salt and vinegar and put it back together? Of couse, that would depend on your tank size...


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

BlackberryBetta said:


> Couldn't you just take everything out of the tank rinse and/or bleach it. Wash the tank out with salt and vinegar and put it back together? Of couse, that would depend on your tank size...


My tank is 5 gallons,cycled. I was thinking about doing this, I have live plants and sand though.I really don't want to have to throw it all away and have to recyle all over again.:-(
Some of my plants were 8 dollars each. :-?


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

Oh ok, got'cha. I see how that would be difficult. If you took your betta out and turned off the filter for a while then stirred the sand up and try to get some of the little buggers out of there, at least you might have it a BIT more under control. Just a thought, I don't have sand so Im really not much help here. Anyways, I hope you can work it out!


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I am going to be switching him over into a 10 gallon sometime soon, so I may just leave that sand in the 5 gallon and get new sand maybe. I hope that will help. I guess I might just have to deal with these little copepods until then!:lol::-?


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## BlackberryBetta (Feb 6, 2011)

Ya, If you are getting a new tank, I wouldnt use the same sand. You would want to stop the problem before it starts.


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

Buy some ghost shrimp! A hungry ghost shrimp will probably eat a copepod, problem solved! I like the look of them so I would leave. They are actually a good sign, and are probably good in your aquarium.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

shinybetta said:


> Buy some ghost shrimp! A hungry ghost shrimp will probably eat a copepod, problem solved! I like the look of them so I would leave. They are actually a good sign, and are probably good in your aquarium.


I may get a ghost shrimp! I am sort of scared of them though! I hear they can rip betta fish fins.:lol:
Would having a ghost shrimp, a snail and a betta in a 5 gallon be overcrowded?


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## LolaQuigs (Mar 28, 2010)

Shrimp have a very small bioload, so adding a shrimp in with the betta and the snail shouldn't change things much; you should be fine.


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## shinybetta (Jul 3, 2010)

You could do more than 1 if you want. A true ghost shrimp wouldn't hurt a betta, unless extremely starved.


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## Littlebittyfish (Jan 5, 2011)

Cool,thanks you all!:-D

I think I am going to get a few ghost shrimp the next time I go to petco.


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## bettamaniac (Jan 6, 2011)

yep those are copepods. most freshwater copepods have that body shape.


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