Amphipods eat my corals,photos.

[boxboy]

Ok so Ive been watching the Amphipods in my 10g mixed tank for weeks now. and I have no other choice but to believe that there slowly eating my zoas. Ive watched carfully. and yup there eating them. My tank has like 10,000s of these things. as Ive only got 1 fish who wont eat them. and maybe even a trumpet. I need to find out what I can do or add to my tank. to either eat them and keep them in check or how to wipe them out?

please help. And yes I dip my coral in coral rx. and ive also checked for zoa eating nudis also.

I dont want my corals slowing dying.

 

Thanks in advance.

[phineous]

I had a couple of monster amphipods, about 1/2", that were on one zoa colony and were eating them at night. I pulled the rock the next morning and did a 30 second freshwater dip. That knocked out the amphipods and a couple of mini brittle stars. Zoas were fine.

 

The brittle stars were OK and I put them in the sump. I let the amphipods suffer and die.

 

The amphipod population will swell when the conditions are right, so they'll come and go. I've also noticed that the big ones seem to keep to the same places in the tank, like they stake out territory. Could be why my spot treatment worked.

 

There's lots of traffic on this topic so search around to see what others have done.

[metrokat]

BASTARDS! They look like this only cream in color:

 

Take out the colony in question, do a FW dip, swirl the colony gently in the water a few times to disloge the bastards. That will help the zoas open up.

 

The other option is to add a wrasse but in your 10 G you may have to "borrow" one and give it back.

[Dendroguy]

six line wrasse takes care of 'em

[Alexraptor]

Is there a particular speices that eats corals or something?

Because my tank is teeming with amphipods, but they never touch any of my corals, at all.

[TheUnfocusedOne]

six line wrasse takes care of 'em

 

 

No. That's a terrible suggestion. You shouldn't buy fish to fix problems.

 

 

I'm always sceptical about people seeing pods eat their corals. It's possible that they are just stomping all over them and causing them to close up, then eating the thin films of micro algae that grow on them.

 

Just leave them, they'll go away. Corals can go a good while closed up without dieing, trust me. I pulled some zoas that were buried under chaeto in my parent tank recently that probably hadn't seen like in month. They're currently doing great in my tank.

[buddythelion]

I've watched large pods stay on top of a zoa before only to wake up to two potential baby zoas gone on that exact spot. Asterina stars too. Just not the risk. But there hasn't been any more zoa eating after that one time with the pods. I think the really big ones are more likely to munch on coral, so those go bye bye whenever possible. Asterinas... See them then adios. Gone suckaaa. But I believe pods can munch on corals. But it was a one time that hasn't happened again yet.

[boxboy]

yup these are large. almost the size of a peice of rice. and yup eating them at night. Sooo 1min fw dip wont hurt the zoas? Will probable kill off all the sponges on that same rock. and what about the mussles that live on that same rock? fw wont kill them?

 

Thank you everyone for your help. Ill do the dip soon today. Ill post pics in here. before and after and 2-3days later.

[boxboy]

well I did the dip and It only got two of the pods off the rock. yup only 2 of them. so this tells me. they live els where in the tank.

this oic is 3seconds before the dip. light had been on 7hrs at this point.

[metrokat]

shucks OP that is looking pretty bad and almost exactly what the pods did to my zoas.

 

I did once a week FW dips. make sure the temp of the water is the same as that of the tank.

The pods live everywhere so they will come back but they leave the dipped rocks alone for some time giving stressed polyps a chance to recover.

 

I have not been able to eradicate the alien sized amphipod problem but they have stopped munching on my zoas. Whenever I catch one of these bastards I feed it to my sun coral or anemone. bastards.

 

you can search this forum for a few threads (mine included) that are titled huge amphipods stressing out my zoas or some such title.

[boxboy]

Will coral RX dip also help? I love zoas and hate the giant pods.Ill keep doing weekly dips. Hell if I catch any in there tonight ill dip again. try and catch some of them. the pods should not bother anything els? I hope not.

 

Thanks Metrokat

[boxboy]

On a lighter note. when I put the zoas back in the tank. I noticed a cool 1/2" fat whit oyster its alive and moveing around with on the zoa rock. ir was under the rock when I found it. ohh about20mins since the dip and 6-7 polyps are open again. its a start.

[boxboy]

Avlittle while after the dip. I moved them up higher also in hopes the pods will leave it alone.

[boxboy]

Ok very bad news. I stayed up to watch my tank and maybe catch the pods eating corals. well here is photos of the same pods eating my new green slimer sps frag. It has lost skin. in the bottom left part of the frag. the pod in photo is almost dead center. or middel bottom of the frag. this is the best I can do with a cell phone and flash light. Please I need dam good advise on how to rid my tank of these.

 

This frag was in perfect health since ive added it a few weeks ago. my tank prams are all in check.

What the %#&@ can I do to get these pods out of my tank? or at least stop them from eating things.

I feed my tank Once a week with reef roids. feed 1 fish every to days pellets.

 

[boxboy]

3rd and 4th pic you can see the flesh gone from the sps. if u see the bubble alaeg its right above that. the white spot. I will take petter photo in the morning with a better camera.

[boxboy]

bump for help or ideas? Im reading and searching on NR already. only soultions so far is. FW dip. or buy a wrasse. or nuke the tank. whats the point of owning corals if there just going to get eaten.

[yoshii]

Eating your SPS? Woah

I guess a wrasse or amphipod eating fish (geometric hawk?) is your best bet, also try feeding less

[boxboy]

Eating your SPS? Woah

I guess a wrasse or amphipod eating fish (geometric hawk?) is your best bet, also try feeding less

 

I only feed my tank Once a week with reef roids. feed 1 fish every to days pellets. 

 

(geometric hawk for 10gallon?

[yoshii]

They max out at 2", I have one in my 10g and it's eaten up almost all (that I can see) of the amphipods

[matt frizz]

Mandarin? lol the pods have been keeping mine fat and happy for a while now.

[boxboy]

I wont.get a mandern. tank is too small.

[Acielot]

I wont.get a mandern. tank is too small.

+1 as tempting as it is...

Yep same issue here I have plenty of pods but not enough to support a mandarin long-term. I have heard of using rainfordi (court jester) or hectors gobies to control pods but i prefer to get a watchman goby

[21093r53]

dont think the pods are eating your tissue bro what are your tank params?

[boxboy]

dont think the pods are eating your tissue bro what are your tank params?

I watched them eat it last night. took pohots and posted in here. Ive read Alot about this. and tons of people dont agree. I understand. but something is causeing them to chomp on my green slimmer. There was few at once doing this. once the flash light was on. thay all split except 1. Ill try and get better.photos. I only test once a week. 2days ago everything was in check. and normail. Ill do water change this saturday and Ill test for everything before and after. and Ill post here. or in my 10g thread.

[Deckoz2302]

I got amphipods the size of sexy shrimp....lol...I don't got this problem sorry bout your luck ;P