Amphipods and a mandarin

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Will a mandarin dragonette eat these guys? I have pods bothering my zoas. They’re larger and I believe they’re amphipods. Maybe 1/4”. Visible to the naked eye but not huge. Or would a scooter blenny work? I know a wrasse will but it’s a biocube and I only have two small clowns in there now. Only other current idea is an orchid dottyback. I have a planaria trap coming to trap and kill them as well.


It is the pods bothering my zoas before we get into that discussion. They’re over populated and starving. Need a cheap predator or solution here.

 

[cdw79]

You're saying the amphipods are the ones overrunning your display? In my experience they can be pretty skittish during the day, so that sounds uncharacteristic. Have you made sure to isolate that they are the issue? Ie no other fish nipping at them or inverts walking on them, etc.

Not sure how helpful this was, but I got a bunch in my sump from a chaeto buy. They used to be everywhere, but at one point I ran out of phyto and didn't dose for a few weeks. I started noticing fewer and fewer and now I don't see any anymore. I did a quick google search and people seemingly tend to say they have booms and busts. They eat detritus primarily, so maybe add some extra CUC or feed a bit less for awhile and see if that thins them out?

One thing I'm pretty sure of, though, is dragonettes not touching them. Someone else might have different experiences, and if so correct me please, but a few times I threw some amphipods in the display after I saved them during a WC. Several fish tried eating the smaller ones but spit them back out, and the bigger ones there was no chance any were fitting them in their mouths. Looking at my mandarin's mouth, imo there's no way one is fitting in there unless it's especially tiny, assuming it would even eat it.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

You're saying the amphipods are the ones overrunning your display? In my experience they can be pretty skittish during the day, so that sounds uncharacteristic. Have you made sure to isolate that they are the issue? Ie no other fish nipping at them or inverts walking on them, etc.

Not sure how helpful this was, but I got a bunch in my sump from a chaeto buy. They used to be everywhere, but at one point I ran out of phyto and didn't dose for a few weeks. I started noticing fewer and fewer and now I don't see any anymore. I did a quick google search and people seemingly tend to say they have booms and busts. They eat detritus primarily, so maybe add some extra CUC or feed a bit less for awhile and see if that thins them out?

One thing I'm pretty sure of, though, is dragonettes not touching them. Someone else might have different experiences, and if so correct me please, but a few times I threw some amphipods in the display after I saved them during a WC. Several fish tried eating the smaller ones but spit them back out, and the bigger ones there was no chance any were fitting them in their mouths. Looking at my mandarin's mouth, imo there's no way one is fitting in there unless it's especially tiny, assuming it would even eat it.

What about the dottyback taking them down?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Any wrasse would decimate amphipods. My mated pair of mandarins will rip one apart from time to time, but they just cannot fit them in their mouths. I do assume they eat smaller ones, but the big ones I have are rare in any DT I have. They either get eaten by wrasses or springerii damsels. In my macro tank, my small scorps actively hunt them along with the 2 large wrasse I have in there.

 

[Crabby48]

Any wrasse would decimate amphipods. My mated pair of mandarins will rip one apart from time to time, but they just cannot fit them in their mouths. I do assume they eat smaller ones, but the big ones I have are rare in any DT I have. They either get eaten by wrasses or springerii damsels. In my macro tank, my small scorps actively hunt them along with the 2 large wrasse I have in there.

Agree wrasse. Wrasse for bigger amphipods. Fairies and flashers are hit and Miss but sand sleepers will destroy amphipods

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Any wrasse would decimate amphipods. My mated pair of mandarins will rip one apart from time to time, but they just cannot fit them in their mouths. I do assume they eat smaller ones, but the big ones I have are rare in any DT I have. They either get eaten by wrasses or springerii damsels. In my macro tank, my small scorps actively hunt them along with the 2 large wrasse I have in there.

Never had a Springeri. I have a four stripe in a separate tank and he’s a turd. Do the fairy wrasses actually hunt? I had a green corris I liked back in the day but can’t find one now

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Agree wrasse. Wrasse for bigger amphipods. Fairies and flashers are hit and Miss but sand sleepers will destroy amphipods

No chance of a dottyback knocking them down?

 

[Crabby48]

No chance of a dottyback knocking them down?

I don’t know anything about a dottyback

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Never had a Springeri. I have a four stripe in a separate tank and he’s a turd. Do the fairy wrasses actually hunt? I had a green corris I liked back in the day but can’t find one now

as @Crabby48 said, hit or miss with fairy. Anything that sleeps in the sand will go to town though. Leopards for example are vicious when it comes to pods. They rip them to pieces and then chase after the pieces like its a game lol.

I don’t know anything about a dottyback

I have a dotty back in my 32 biocube and it could care less about a pod. That may just be that one, but it would much rather sit and wait for food lol.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

as @Crabby48 said, hit or miss with fairy. Anything that sleeps in the sand will go to town though. Leopards for example are vicious when it comes to pods. They rip them to pieces and then chase after the pieces like its a game lol.


I have a dotty back in my 32 biocube and it could care less about a pod. That may just be that one, but it would much rather sit and wait for food lol.

Are leopards hard to keep alive? My brother had one and it was beautoful but tiny and it didn’t make it long

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Are leopards hard to keep alive? My brother had one and it was beautoful but tiny and it didn’t make it long

For me, no. I have received them from my LFS (special order and from shipping bag to my tank) and TSM.

If you are looking to get one, I highly recommend @tsmaquatics for wrasse. @Crabby48 may also be able to provide some good vendors, but all of the fish I have received from TSM were eating, shipped wonderfully, and are still going strong.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

For me, no. I have received them from my LFS (special order and from shipping bag to my tank) and TSM.

If you are looking to get one, I highly recommend @tsmaquatics for wrasse. @Crabby48 may also be able to provide some good vendors, but all of the fish I have received from TSM were eating, shipped wonderfully, and are still going strong.

Hey what about a long nose hawkfish? I’ve had stripes before and they murder inverts but man they hunt. Would a long nose be any better on inverts?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Hey what about a long nose hawkfish? I’ve had stripes before and they murder inverts but man they hunt. Would a long nose be any better on inverts?

Hawk would eat them, but not sure on how fast. I do not have a longnose, but have a normal one and it is lazy as can be. I will eat them, but is another on that "I will just wait for food" kind of fish lol.

 

[HuduVudu]

In my experience they can be pretty skittish during the day, so that sounds uncharacteristic.

Depends whether there predators or potential predators present. Before I put in my Signal Gobies they were out constantly. They were honey badgers.

They eat detritus primarily,

LOL. Why do we as aquarist assume that something eats detritus first. This is seems like a default position. Back in the day for fish it was fairy shrimp entire books of fish (with pictures) and ninety nine percent of them ate brine shrimp.

They are like hermit crabs. If there is a higher energy food source availble, like a weak coral they will eat it otherwise they are algae eaters.

One thing I'm pretty sure of, though, is dragonettes not touching them.

Second this.

 

[HuduVudu]

Hey what about a long nose hawkfish? I’ve had stripes before and they murder inverts but man they hunt. Would a long nose be any better on inverts?

My three butterflies actively hunt them, except for my lazy Pakastani he seems to be @Eagle_Steve's Longnose's cousin.

But my Butterflies aren't reef safe. Pakastani, Pearl Scale and Sunset.

 

[Chrisv.]

Dottyback would chow down and will actively hunt in the rockwork. They can be a bit feisty. The perfect fish for this situation is a pink streak wrasse. Good luck finding one for sale though.

 

[Crabby48]

Are leopards hard to keep alive? My brother had one and it was beautoful but tiny and it didn’t make it long

Leopards are easy to keep alive. Hard part is getting healthy and shipping. A place like TSM ship at 1.025 salinity so they can be temp acclimated and put in tank. Also they qt and get them eating. Leopards and many wrasse need special prepping other then that they are good.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Dottyback would chow down and will actively hunt in the rockwork. They can be a bit feisty. The perfect fish for this situation is a pink streak wrasse. Good luck finding one for sale though.

Looking at getting an orchid if my trap doesn’t work I ordered

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Any wrasse would decimate amphipods. My mated pair of mandarins will rip one apart from time to time, but they just cannot fit them in their mouths. I do assume they eat smaller ones, but the big ones I have are rare in any DT I have. They either get eaten by wrasses or springerii damsels. In my macro tank, my small scorps actively hunt them along with the 2 large wrasse I have in there.

^+1 get a wrasse and watch him grow fat on those

 

[Chrisv.]

Looking at getting an orchid if my trap doesn’t work I ordered

I have little hope for the trap. They will always be there, but a predatory fish will keep the popular down.