ok everyone here are REEF BUGS!

[joefish84]

well here they are. im in the process of hatching the first batch with takes approx. 30 min. i guess. but heres the pics. anyone who wants some let me know and we can work out getting in touch with the supplier or something

 

[joefish84]

kdf

 

[cuttlegirl]

Cute packaging! I want to see the little guys...

 

[DHyslop]

Joe,

Do you think it would be possible to get a detailed compositional breakdown from the manufacturer? What genera in what proportions?

Dan

 

[joefish84]

from what i can tell it looks like lots of cyclopces, some sort of green colored plankton some small brown balls which im guessing are some sort of copopod or mysid shrimp egg, and small little white slivers that im guessing are the latter also. anyway ill keep yall updated on what comes out of this

 

[joefish84]

i think that alot of that information may be classified from the public knowledge but ill see what i can do.

 

[monty]

i think that alot of that information may be classified from the public knowledge but ill see what i can do.

Didn't someone have one of those USB microscope webcam gadgets from thinkgeek? That'd be pretty good for assessing the little beasties.... can't remember who, though; someone with baby cephs or eggs, tho.

 

[DHyslop]

i think that alot of that information may be classified from the public knowledge but ill see what i can do.

That would be a pretty silly thing to keep proprietary, IMO: if I was going to make a copy-cat product it wouldn't really matter what the proportions were. There's no risk associated with giving out that information, and tons of risk if you keep it secret: I suspect most reefkeepers would pass on this unless they knew it was pest-free.

Dan

 

[DHyslop]

OK, I just had a read through of the product website and am now much more skeptical.

http://www.marcweissaquariumproducts.com/reef_bugs.htm

Reef or marine “snow” is an aggregate of LIVING MICROBES clinging to, one or a combination of : organic, inorganic, volcanic, mineral, living or recently dead matter.

Reef Bugs™ yields particle sizes down to less than a micron and up to macroscopic particles. The individual living organisms are microscopic.

These microbes, primarily bacterial, and fungal (yeasts and related organisms) provide 30% of the planktonic matter raining down on the reef.

That means most of this is detritus: probably a lot of bioclastic material like diatom or foraminifera tests. The only things living are microbes. There are no amphipods, copepods, mysis or any other pelagic metazoans in here.

Dan

 

[Thales]

Ah, a Marc Weiss product. I don't trust them with 8 10 foot poles.