Amphipods eating zoanthids

fonduecat

Cleaner Shrimp
#21
I had massive Amphipods in my tank too. I think they were killing my snails. Oddly enough a lawnmower blenny solved the problem. He ate all the big ones and has had a massive pot belly since. I've heard of others having good luck with wrasses, but mine won't eat them. I wish you luck!

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk
 

Jeremiah

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#22
Update: Got a large Mandarin, I know I only have a 16 gallon tank, but it has tons of pods for now. I plan on rehoming him when he handles my pod problem. Although right now he goes to sleep at night and that is when those pods come out ... so unless he starts hunting during the night he's not doing me any good. I've tried to catch them and have only been able to suck 1 out and see tons of others that i just cant get to in the holes of the live rock.

Zoa's are still getting damaged/or totally eaten daily...

As for the people who keep telling me that pods don't eat Zoa's...

Here is a discussion from Bob Fenner, the marine biologist that wrote this.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Professional/dp/1890087998

"Meat eating amphipods... comp./removal 8/26/2009
Hello! I have a nano tank (approximately 20g) that up until recently has not had any problems—all creatures are growing, show great polyp extension, and coloration. My parameters are all in line with the hobby standards and I do not dose anything.

I change approximately 40-50% of the tank water per month, which is about 2.5g per week. I recently noticed seemingly large amphipods hanging out at the base of my red people eater Zoanthid colony and I just assumed they were cleaning up, until now. The last few nights I have witnessed the amphipods eating the skirts and then moving on to flesh surrounding the mouth and by morning all that's left of the polyp is a horrible looking nub. They have devoured almost four polyps and I fear it's going to continue.

The rest of the colony continues to look beautiful, fully extends, and doesn't have Nudibranchs, Zoa spiders, poxs, or any type of infection.
I have done some research and it seems that there's differing opinions whether amphipods actually behave in this manner.

For three nights, I have personally witness these creatures sitting, picking, and eating the flesh. I have tried to shoo them away, but can not sit in front of the tank all night. Also, I have purchased a 6-line wrasse to help control the amphipod population, but it seems that the wrasse goes to sleep well before the amphipods come out.

I have thought about feeding the tank extra food in case the amphipods are starving, which doesn't seem like a good idea due to increasing the nutrient load and aiding in another meat eating amphipod explosion. I've thought about removing the Zoanthids to another tank, but I'm worried that the amphipods will just start munching on another colony. Do you have any other suggestions? Words of wisdom?

I greatly appreciate your help. WetWebMedia is a fantastic resource, thank you!
Sincerely,
May S.
"

That is just one instance out of a TON that I've found with posts of other people ACTUALLY SEEING the Amphipods eating the zoa's. Some have freshwater dipped, others have nuked the tank with interceptor and others have had success with fish...The main thing i've found is that it it is mostly people with nano's and nothing eatting the pods that has a problem with this.

Most people with larger tanks end up with fish that go after the pods and control the population so that this doesn't happen or it happens to such a small degree that they don't even notice it.
 

FinsUp

According to my watch, the time is now.
M.A.S.C Club Member
#23
That's crazy. I know you have tons of zoas in that tank, and I certainly understand the need to protect those from anything that considers them food! If you've lost whole colonies of anything I have, just let me know and I'll get you a frag if I can.

I have a scarlet wrasse, and he's constantly hunting pods. I've also had great luck with a yellow coris wrasses, and six lines. I tried a possum wrasse, and he wouldn't eat, so I'm not inclined to try another. However, until just recently, I had a tank so large that water volume wasn't an issue. That said, Now that I'm setting up and populating the nuvo, I need to be more careful. I think I may get another scarlet for the nuvo. Or another one that's also slightly out of the ordinary, as long as it eats pests.
 

Jeremiah

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#24
I'm sure you won't have any issues, big difference between the size of fish and amount of fish you can have in a 38 vs a 16.

Plus you are going into this with the idea of having fish that eat pests. My guess is if i had a smaller wrasse type fish from the beginning that was eatting pods they wouldn't have gotten out of control or had a chance to grow large enough to become a problem.
 

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#26
Yellow Tail Blue Damsels will eat flatworms, pods and other microfauna. They will fit in a 5G tank and are not aggressive whatsoever unless you have a pair protecting their eggs. They are a must-have for any small tank IMO.
 

Jeremiah

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#27
View attachment 17518

Ended up getting a large mandarin I thing he is making a difference...seems like less damaged zoas when I check everyday. Plus I don't see them out anymore.


Ended up losing:
6 polyp red hornets Zoa
3 polyps purple orchid paly
25 - 30 polyp of what looked like Jason fox pink'd up zoas
10 polyp of some common Zoa I didn't care about
10 - 15 polyps of sunny d
1 polyp seduction






CRW Reef;288911 said:
Should pm fred aka smiley about pouring Bayer straight into your DT.

* would love to see a pic of one of these boogers!!!
 

Jeremiah

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#29
FinsUp!;292444 said:
Good stuff! Now to keep the mandarin fed.
Doing my best.

I was thinking about my list of lost zoanthids and then thought about how people lose whole tanks. I'm amazed at those who just take it in stride and start over... Hats off to you folks that have had tanks crash, diseases hit, etc and keep on going.

Truly an inspiration...helps me deal with the little things like this when I think about what could have happened.
 

Jeremiah

Tang
M.A.S.C Club Member
#30
Ding ding ding...read some stuff about feeding mandarin mysis.

totally worked...my mandarin is eating mysis.


if anyone is interested...probably won't work in large tank, but for those of you with a smaller tank.
Turn off all flow...everything so that the water is calm. Everyone who posted said their mandarin would go to a spot when that happened and sure enough mine does also...must be a spot he feels safe in.

Then just direct mysis shrimp shower over him. He didn't grab any as it fell but as soon as it stopped moving he would peck at it like they do. He ate like 4-5 of them before losing interest.

I also read people doing the same thing with tiny pellets. I will try them tomorrow and if he doesn't eat them then do mysis again



FinsUp!;292444 said:
Good stuff! Now to keep the mandarin fed.
 

FinsUp

According to my watch, the time is now.
M.A.S.C Club Member
#31
Really!! That's excellent!!! I love mandarins, etc, but had avoided getting one due to the feeding issue. I need to take another look at them now.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#33
Jeremiah;292621 said:
Ding ding ding...read some stuff about feeding mandarin mysis.

totally worked...my mandarin is eating mysis.


if anyone is interested...probably won't work in large tank, but for those of you with a smaller tank.
Turn off all flow...everything so that the water is calm. Everyone who posted said their mandarin would go to a spot when that happened and sure enough mine does also...must be a spot he feels safe in.

Then just direct mysis shrimp shower over him. He didn't grab any as it fell but as soon as it stopped moving he would peck at it like they do. He ate like 4-5 of them before losing interest.

I also read people doing the same thing with tiny pellets. I will try them tomorrow and if he doesn't eat them then do mysis again
Quickest way is garlic soaked blood worms and a wave motion. Ive seen way more mandarins go after blood worms than mysis. I think its the bright coloring. You want just enough flow to make it look like they are wiggling on the rock. A small jebao on wave setting or just your return pump on does the trick.

You might be an engineer if...You have no life, and you can PROVE it mathematically.
 
Top