Amphipods wrecking only my GSPs

[Bushnell]

Hey everyone! I have a 1.5 year old 26 gallon RS Max Nano Peninsula. I have a mix of soft corals and have started introducing some LPS. I have two clowns, an emerald crab, and a fire shrimp. I also have a mix of snails and hermits for my CUC.

6 months ago we tried to establish a pod population in hopes to get a mandarin. We’ve gotten two mandarins and both only made it a few days before killing over. Levels all seemed great too!

Since we haven’t had anything controlling the population of pods, the amphipods have really taken over our GSPs. It seems like if they’re not in the sand, they’re burrowed into the GSPs. I’ve posted here before a few weeks ago looking for help in ID’ing the amphipods. I was trying to dip the GSPs and saw tons of pods come off and die.

I’m not quite sure what to do here to curb the amphipods. From what I’ve read it seems that they may be too big for a mandarin. My next idea was to try a six line Wrasse from my LFS.

Any ideas on what I can do to help my GSPs? I bought a second GSP frag that was doing great at my LFS, mounted it to the rear wall, and it’s been closed up since it’s been in my tank because the amphipods have also taken it over.

Thank you all so much!!

 

[Bushnell]

 

[Bushnell]

 

[GlassMunky]

We’ve gotten two mandarins and both only made it a few days before killing over.

this tells me that the fish you got were in bad condition from the start and were probably gonna die regardless of what you did.
Id highly suggest watching these 3 videos with elliot from @Marine Collectors its a wealth of information about all kinds of fish and just the entire supply chain in general. its a great listen .

 

[GlassMunky]

Ill also add that its highly unlikely that the pods are eating your GSP, they dont eat corals, they eat detritus. They are good CUC members. Also, a healthy manderin should have NO ISSUE at all eating them. My mated pair of Spotted manderins suck down all types of food, even big chunks of meat.

 

[Bushnell]

Ill also add that its highly unlikely that the pods are eating your GSP, they dont eat corals, they eat detritus. They are good CUC members. Also, a healthy manderin should have NO ISSUE at all eating them. My mated pair of Spotted manderins suck down all types of food, even big chunks of meat.

Thank you very much for the videos and info. Is it normal for them to burrow and remain inside GSPs like this? I don’t know if they’re eating them either, I’m just assuming they’re closed because the amphipods are burrowed throughout the GSPs

 

[GlassMunky]

Thank you very much for the videos and info. Is it normal for them to burrow and remain inside GSPs like this? I don’t know if they’re eating them either, I’m just assuming they’re closed because the amphipods are burrowed throughout the GSPs

yea, its normal for them to burrow into anything they can to get away from predators, find food and hide. they basically go everywhere, inside rock crevices etc.

 

[exnisstech]

I have gsp and pods in 2 tanks with no issues. There are times some of the gsp will close up for a few days.
As to fish a six line may not be good in a tank that size that already has 2 clowns. Did you see any aggresion towards the mandarins from clowns? Your tank is 18x18" and a pair of clowns may be the only fish you can keep in there depending on your rockscape and how the clowns behave.

 

[twentyleagues]

I agree amphipods are not hurting your coral. Something is but what that is I am not sure. As for the amphipods wrasses will eat them. If you like six line wrasses and wish to have that fish then get one. If you dont like it and there are many reasons not to then dont get a fish just to fill some roll in the tank. Plenty of fish in the sea so to speak. I have a Timor wrasse because I like they way they look but they are definitely a predator of pods, worms very small cuc, and hes kind of a jerk at feeding time and will steal food from corals no matter how much he has eaten.

 

[Doctorgori]

I’ve had GSP go dormant for weeks
it can be a boom or bust softy

 

[Bushnell]

I have gsp and pods in 2 tanks with no issues. There are times some of the gsp will close up for a few days.
As to fish a six line may not be good in a tank that size that already has 2 clowns. Did you see any aggresion towards the mandarins from clowns? Your tank is 18x18" and a pair of clowns may be the only fish you can keep in there depending on your rockscape and how the clowns behave.

The clowns were curious but I noticed that both of the mandarins we tried would just hide in the rock work during the day. In the mornings before the lights came on I would see the mandarins against the side of the tank and they would be very still and almost dead like even as the lights were on. Eventually they would start moving towards the rock work again. I’m not sure if that’s just normal temperament of mandarins or not. Both times I found them dead they were floating at the baffle to return into the rear sump.

 

[Bushnell]

I’ve had GSP go dormant for weeks
it can be a boom or bust softy

I’m over a month now for my original GSP and it being mostly closed up. It has some heads that start to come out during the morning time when the lights are on, but not all of them by any means! The GSP frag I got from my LFS 2 weeks ago was doing amazing in the store. It’s been closed in my tank since! It’s like I have a anti GSP tank lol

 

[exnisstech]

It sounds like the mandarins may not have been healthy to start. I've only kept mandarins once but they were constantly searching the rocks for pods

 

[Bushnell]

Here’s some photos I just took, the lights have been on for 2 hours now

 

[exnisstech]

It’s been closed in my tank since! It’s like I have a anti GSP tank lol

I can keep gsp now but for the first few years I could not keep gsp or even zoas alive. I have no idea why

 

[twentyleagues]

I have always had bad "luck" with gsp and xenia. Except in a tank I set up in my system years ago for my harlequin shrimp the xenia I put in there to see if the cc stars would eat it grew so well...lol

 

[Hubert J. Farnsworth]

couple things. are you running GFO on your tank? in my experience, gsp are not particularly fond of it, but will get used to it in a week or so time.

next, is that a magnet scraper on the glass i see? do you always keep it in there? if so, i don't recommend doing that. i've had scrapers left on the glass create problems by way of corrosion or leaching of something that irritated corals before.

ime, gsp is pretty indestructable. i've put live rock with patches of gsp i scrubbed off into a barrel without a heater, without lights and just a pump running and pulled the rock out months later without a water change or anything and the gsp is still alive.

last thing, could be your leather or another coral in there is using some chemical warefare and releasing some toxins in your tank that irritates the gsp. running carbon may help if you are not doing it. and remember that your carbon could be ineffective in a week or less time so it might need repleneshing.

 

[Bushnell]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with them too, but also glad to know it’s not just me having issues. I’m not sure what the problem is in my tank because everything else seems to be thriving haha

 

[Bushnell]

couple things. are you running GFO on your tank? in my experience, gsp are not particularly fond of it, but will get used to it in a week or so time.

next, is that a magnet scraper on the glass i see? do you always keep it in there? if so, i don't recommend doing that. i've had scrapers left on the glass create problems by way of corrosion or leaching of something that irritated corals before.

ime, gsp is pretty indestructable. i've put live rock with patches of gsp i scrubbed off into a barrel without a heater, without lights and just a pump running and pulled the rock out months later without a water change or anything and the gsp is still alive.

last thing, could be your leather or another coral in there is using some chemical warefare and releasing some toxins in your tank that irritates the gsp. running carbon may help if you are not doing it. and remember that your carbon could be ineffective in a week or less time so it might need repleneshing.

Thank you so much! I don’t use GFO although I did try it about 9 months ago. I’ve been using a bag of activated Charcoal in the return chamber of the rear sump. I replace it once a month!

Speaking of the warfare, I was also adding .25ml of NP bacto balance a day for this exact reason! I did stop doing this around the same time I added the second GSP (2 weeks ago) to see if it was causing issues with the GSP. Someone else in another thread recommended getting nitrate levels up because some softies like dirtier water

NP-Bacto-Balance

NP-Bacto-Balance is ideal for keeping nitrate and phosphate low while maintaining the important balance between these key nutrients. In many situations, some reef aquariums may develop an excess of nitrate or phosphate while being limited in the other. When this occurs, bacteria and other...

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[Hubert J. Farnsworth]

not sure what your parameters are, but high nitrates won't hurt gsp. your other corals don't seem to be bothered so seems like it something specific to the gsp. i agree that its not pods bothering them either.

i generally don't use any additives unless i'm addressing a specific problem. in this case, i'd try refreshing your activated carbon and see if that helps.

last thought i have, do your clowns pick at them? or try to use them for a host?