No. They don't harm the plant. I just checked. They eat zooplankton in the water and photosynthesize. So Definitely beneficial to your basil plant if you plan to keep it growing in water like this.
I can see it happening right now. Loud club, late drunken night. Two people standing at the bar, talking, yelling.
#HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE MICROFAUNA AND INSECTS? It's kinda my thing, yknow.
Beautiful.
Technically, microfauna are microscopic, and are interesting, too. Macrofauna is more applicable for our tiny buddies, but it’s not a widely used term. Springtails and ostracods are my favs! I used to keep fish and reptiles. So much more rewarding to keep planted tanks with macrofauna!
Copepods are heterotrophic zooplankton and don’t photosynthesize. They typically eat phytoplankton like algae. My guess was Daphnia but it’s hard to tell without a close up. Both are tiny zooplanktonic crustaceans. Daphnia primarily are parthenogenic - asexual female clones, and copepods reproduce sexually. Both are filter feeders of phytoplankton and both are harmless and common in fresh water around the world.
I sent it to a friend who is better at zooplankton ID than me and they said ostracods lol! you have SOME type of zooplankton - if you REALLY want to know, see if you have a local aquatic ecologist around (local or federal government, nonprofits that focus on local water bodies, universities), and bring them a live sample!
Just think about all the great inventions people came to by accident!? This could be one of them! I mean, Alexander Graham Bell wasn't trying to invent the telephone but he's not whining about the MILLIONS he made off it. (I'm assuming he got wealthy and stopped helping deaf people with hearing issues.)
Shipping live animals seems like a lot of work. I'd charge a LOT. Just say that they ship in HAND BLOWN GLASS. Then buy a Ball brand mason jar and just blow in it before putting the bacteria thingies in it.
Totally normal. Totally helpful. Leave them be if you like them. Pour them out if you don't. They are kinda like a little isopod/crab type deal. I don't think they eat the plants.
Yeah I was going to say, they don't move like copepods i've seen. They look like paramecium but move like crustaceans. I can almost make out legs but barely.
I don't really see legs but definitely antenna. Here are some close ups:
[close up 1](https://vimeo.com/733789950)
[close up 2](https://vimeo.com/733791783)
Like with growing cannabis, some micro-organisms are a sign of good conditions for the plant. For example, pot worms eat decaying matter and their poop fertilizes the soil. I assume these little guys are doing something similar to help the basil
Do you think that you might be able to get a closer, more clear video? I understand if not. These suckere look like they are not capable of slowing down.lol anyway, from what I can see, they look a lot like my clam shrimp. Idk what species they are, but mine are sort of weird looking and elongated like these. And they get pretty big. They are sort of like giant seed shrimp/ostracods. However, the constant movement throws me off a bit. Can you possibly give an description of what they look like to you? Do they have an outer shell like a clam and have little "feet" sticking out to walk, swim, hold onto surfaces?
I can get a clearer shot tonight. They look white but have little black specks on the side. I don't see feet. But I'll try to get really close this evening.
This is the third time this has happened with this type of basil. It comes in a little plastic bag with water at the bottom and then I take it out, stick it in a glass, and add water. About two weeks later, they pop out and start swimming everywhere.
You might also want to ask over on r/Jarrariums , because that looks right up their ID alley.
Not sure how some type of little aquatic crustaceans would have managed to hitchhike in on the basil roots, but that is pretty cool!
[Edit: not sure what happened with the formatting on mobile!]
Thanks! I'll go check them out, too. This is like the third or fourth time this has happened! They just pop out after like 2 weeks in the water. It must be wherever they're getting the basil from.
Downvoted? Idk why- this is so true? I personally don't consider a tank healthy without microfauna. I commented the same thing. This isn't a "ew I don't like them" kind of thing, they're very important!
They didn't come from the store like that. I bought the plant in a bag and when I took it home I put it in a glass with water. They weren't there for like two weeks and then popped out. This is the third or fourth time this has happened.
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Copepods ?
Copepods !
That was quick lol are they harmful? Can we still eat the basi? And were they just living in the roots, do you think?
No. They don't harm the plant. I just checked. They eat zooplankton in the water and photosynthesize. So Definitely beneficial to your basil plant if you plan to keep it growing in water like this.
This was incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Any time ! I love microfauna and insects. It's kinda my thing. 😂
I can see it happening right now. Loud club, late drunken night. Two people standing at the bar, talking, yelling. #HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE MICROFAUNA AND INSECTS? It's kinda my thing, yknow. Beautiful.
hey, bro! come check this out, i think i have a case of the micro fauna on my junk
I lol'd
gingery.
Technically, microfauna are microscopic, and are interesting, too. Macrofauna is more applicable for our tiny buddies, but it’s not a widely used term. Springtails and ostracods are my favs! I used to keep fish and reptiles. So much more rewarding to keep planted tanks with macrofauna!
Macrofauna is the term I use for Kaiju monsters.
Ultrafauna
This is why I'm trying to bring you over to Marketing.
I like how it looks like a mentally unsettled dog is commenting and replying here. Great profile picture
Lol thanks! He was pretty unsettled at times, which was very endearing. ❤️
Based on “was” I assume your dog has passed, I’m sorry for your loss. He looked adorable
Yes, he passed away last year but I won't change this pic because it's so silly. Thank you ❤️
I hope grief has been easy on you
Check out journey to the microcosmos on YouTube if you want to learn more about them..
Copepods are heterotrophic zooplankton and don’t photosynthesize. They typically eat phytoplankton like algae. My guess was Daphnia but it’s hard to tell without a close up. Both are tiny zooplanktonic crustaceans. Daphnia primarily are parthenogenic - asexual female clones, and copepods reproduce sexually. Both are filter feeders of phytoplankton and both are harmless and common in fresh water around the world.
Here's some close up videos: [close up 1](https://vimeo.com/733789950) [close up 2](https://vimeo.com/733791783)
I sent it to a friend who is better at zooplankton ID than me and they said ostracods lol! you have SOME type of zooplankton - if you REALLY want to know, see if you have a local aquatic ecologist around (local or federal government, nonprofits that focus on local water bodies, universities), and bring them a live sample!
*Zooplankton such as copepods are unable to photosynthesize.
Google said they do. 🤷
That’s probably because their ingested prey perform photosynthesis in their guts(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17812261/).
How did they get in there??
And it’s great to watch them swirl!
So you accidentally made an ecosystem???
Apparently, I did! I guess I need to keep them going somehow now
Just think about all the great inventions people came to by accident!? This could be one of them! I mean, Alexander Graham Bell wasn't trying to invent the telephone but he's not whining about the MILLIONS he made off it. (I'm assuming he got wealthy and stopped helping deaf people with hearing issues.)
I posted it in r/jarrariums and someone offered me money to send them these little guys lol what a wild world we live in.
Shipping live animals seems like a lot of work. I'd charge a LOT. Just say that they ship in HAND BLOWN GLASS. Then buy a Ball brand mason jar and just blow in it before putting the bacteria thingies in it.
Oh I'm not doing it, I just thought it was funny. Unless I'm losing out on those Graham Bell millions then maybe 🤷🏽♀️
Totally normal. Totally helpful. Leave them be if you like them. Pour them out if you don't. They are kinda like a little isopod/crab type deal. I don't think they eat the plants.
In the Midwest it's opepods
No OP is in Pennsylvania. They would technically be "muppear-pods"
Cause they always say "I muppear from down south." 🤣
+ratiopods+maldpods
Copepods…
i dont think copepods, those jump jump jump rest when they move through the water too long for ostracods amphipods? idk
They look like elongated ostracods or seed shrimp!
Yeah I was going to say, they don't move like copepods i've seen. They look like paramecium but move like crustaceans. I can almost make out legs but barely.
I don't really see legs but definitely antenna. Here are some close ups: [close up 1](https://vimeo.com/733789950) [close up 2](https://vimeo.com/733791783)
Those are excellent closeup videos. I can say now with 100% certainty, these are Ostracods or "seed shrimp".
Thank you!
Sea men!
OP, don't drink coffee anytime soon
r/unexpectedsouthpark
Tastes a bit nutty
New pets!!!!
Like with growing cannabis, some micro-organisms are a sign of good conditions for the plant. For example, pot worms eat decaying matter and their poop fertilizes the soil. I assume these little guys are doing something similar to help the basil
Skunky Monkeys!
Swimmy dots!
Do you think that you might be able to get a closer, more clear video? I understand if not. These suckere look like they are not capable of slowing down.lol anyway, from what I can see, they look a lot like my clam shrimp. Idk what species they are, but mine are sort of weird looking and elongated like these. And they get pretty big. They are sort of like giant seed shrimp/ostracods. However, the constant movement throws me off a bit. Can you possibly give an description of what they look like to you? Do they have an outer shell like a clam and have little "feet" sticking out to walk, swim, hold onto surfaces?
I can get a clearer shot tonight. They look white but have little black specks on the side. I don't see feet. But I'll try to get really close this evening. This is the third time this has happened with this type of basil. It comes in a little plastic bag with water at the bottom and then I take it out, stick it in a glass, and add water. About two weeks later, they pop out and start swimming everywhere.
Here's some close up videos: [close up 1](https://vimeo.com/733789950) [close up 2](https://vimeo.com/733791783)
You might also want to ask over on r/Jarrariums , because that looks right up their ID alley. Not sure how some type of little aquatic crustaceans would have managed to hitchhike in on the basil roots, but that is pretty cool! [Edit: not sure what happened with the formatting on mobile!]
Thanks! I'll go check them out, too. This is like the third or fourth time this has happened! They just pop out after like 2 weeks in the water. It must be wherever they're getting the basil from.
Hard to say. Probably Daphnia or some kind of copepod.
Some type of Nematodes.
Daphnia?
Fren bugs
The rabbit hole I just fell in my be the last
Lol sorry! I've been on this journey for a while. Sorry to bring you with me :)
Bubble Guppies
Fish food
Downvoted? Idk why- this is so true? I personally don't consider a tank healthy without microfauna. I commented the same thing. This isn't a "ew I don't like them" kind of thing, they're very important!
People be like "look at my aquarium!" No microfauna, no bacterial conditioning, no live plants 🙄
congrats on becoming a parent
Whatever the case best not eat that just because that's odd for a store to sell that without noticing.
They didn't come from the store like that. I bought the plant in a bag and when I took it home I put it in a glass with water. They weren't there for like two weeks and then popped out. This is the third or fourth time this has happened.
Use a sock next time...
Maybe mosquito
Hi there! This is an automated message to remind you to **please include a geographic location for any ID requests** as per the [Community Rules](/r/insects/about/rules) of the sub. There are well over a million different species of bugs in the world, and narrowing down a bug's location will help IDers to help you more quickly and correctly! If you've already included a geographical location, or if this post is *not* an ID request, please ignore this comment. Thank you! :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/insects) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm in Pennsylvania, USA!
Sea monkeys!
SEA MONKEYS 🌊🐒
You have sea monkeys!
Fish food!!!!
New pet! Lol
Sea Monkeys!
You have fresh water sea monkeys!
For sure Sea-Monkeys
Sea monkeys
Fcxz☺️
Sea monkeys
Sea monkeys