How to macro "bugs" and copepods, worms, etc make their way into a maturing system?

[Ballyhoo]

I was watching this video because I have really been trying to understand the process of a long standing mature reef tank. In this video the narrator refers to small "bugs" ( I presume small crustaceans?), worms, etc. Do most reefers here have these in their older tanks? And how do these species, for example sponges, or any of these critters that we never introduced ourselves make their way into our system? Where do they come from? Do all well maintained reef tanks eventually get them?

Thanks!

This is the video that I was watching that captured my interest in this phenom.

 

[Dburr1014]

Live rock and frags mostly.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The more corals you add, from different sources, will introduce "stuff" into your tank. Everything that you add to your tank thats wet, has a multitude of "stuff" on it. Especially when the coral is mounted on a rock, all those tiny holes and cracks are full of micro organisms.

I do believe, that one of the best ways to mature the system quickly, is to introduce as many corals from as many different sources as possible. They don't only bring micro organisms, but also bring different bacteria as well. Not only corals, but a small rock or a scoop of sand from some ones tank also brings in all the goodies.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Do most reefers here have these in their older tanks? And how do these species, for example sponges, or any of these critters that we never introduced ourselves make their way into our system? Where do they come from? Do all well maintained reef tanks eventually get them?

Yeah, as said, anything wet can bring hitchhikers along - live rock/sand, coral, macroalgae, snail and hermit crab shells, etc.; sometimes even fish and inverts (without hard shells) can bring them in.

Some of these things come in while literally microscopic in size, and some (like pineapple sponges, for example) can even literally regrow/reproduce from single cells, so preventing them from coming in is practically impossible.

Because it's practically impossible to keep a lot of these things out, pretty much every tank will get them at some point.

 

[VintageReefer]

One day this blue sponge just started growing out of a rock.


See blue stalk center of tank

I had the rock for months and one day this blue nub grew. I recognized it as a sponge and left it. After a year it was the size of the picture above. After 2 years…