| QUESTION: I have these bugs in my aquarium; | | | | Cyclops are generally eaten by Phantom Midge |
| they are very small about 2-3 mm long with one | | | | Larvae and water mites. |
| black eye in the middle of its head. It is grayish in | | | | REPRODUCTION: |
| color. It goes jerking through water in rather | | | | The female Cyclops carries her eggs at the back |
| spastic motions. | | | | of her body. There are fewer males than females |
| What are these? | | | | present in the population, and the males are |
| ANSWER: | | | | smaller. Females are often observed while |
| It sounds more like this, which is a Cyclops (a | | | | swimming to have paired egg sacs, and most of |
| type of copepod); they range in size from 1-3 | | | | the species are capable of explosive outbreaks |
| mm. It is called a Cyclops because of the single | | | | when the water temperature and other conditions |
| eye spot. This female carries two packages of | | | | are optimal. |
| eggs near the base of her tail. | | | | CONCLUSION: |
| A little about Cyclops; | | | | Cyclops can also be intermediary hosts to the |
| HABITAT: | | | | Guinea worm (which affects humans, but not |
| Cyclops live in freshwater, such as ponds and | | | | generally fish) and fish tapeworm. These are rare |
| lakes. They prefer areas of still water with a lot | | | | occurrences for the Cyclops, and many aquarists |
| of algae. | | | | consider them valuable as a fish food and even |
| THEIR PLACE IN THE FOOD CHAIN: | | | | sell them. I would not be overly concerned with |
| Cyclops are omnivores; they eat algae, small | | | | them for most aquariums as long as good |
| animals, detritus but not usually fish. But weak fry | | | | aquarium cleaning methods, such as vacuuming |
| MAY be harmed by these copepods. Some | | | | are practiced. The exception would probably be |
| species of Cyclops are not free-living, existing | | | | with fish breeding. In this case, vacuuming gravel |
| instead as fish parasites, but these are not | | | | and rinsing off live plants in a mild bleach solution |
| common. Tropical and native fish enthusiasts utilize | | | | (live plants can handle a 25/1 solution provided it is |
| the cyclopoids as a high protein live fish food, | | | | rinsed off) would be in order. Keep in mind that |
| especially for immature fishes, and in a fair twist | | | | these copepods do not like areas of high current |
| of fate, some Cyclops species have been found | | | | and do like a lot of algae, so changing these |
| feasting on larval fishes, particularly in fish | | | | conditions would go a long way in controlling |
| hatcheries. | | | | Cyclops. |