Amphipod Behavior

[Hermie]

Hi all, I recently added a dozen or so Amphipods to my 10gal QT but I don't really see them anywhere now. There are several "huge" bundles of chaeto in there that I think they may be hiding in, but I wanted to ask, what's the general behavior for amphipods (gammarus) in your tanks? Do they burrow in the substrate? Do they stay inside chaeto balls? Do they ever come out and swim, etc...

As a side note, I am adding the amphipods with hopes that my puffer will eat them in my DT, and then I will add a mandarin that will eat copepods and amphipods. The puffer will control the amphipods and the amphipods/mandarin will control the copepods and amphipods. As convoluted as it sounds, basically I hope the puffer eats them on occasion.

 

[Kamden Uelton]

they hide at first.

 

[lapin]

In general the A pods you buy are not free swimmers. They live in rock pores, macro algae and coarse substrates, like calcium media or rock rubble.

 

[Mrx7899]

Usually come out at night when the lights are off.

 

[Nathan Milender]

Extremely photo negative. If you think they are gone lift a rock, likely a swarming mass in there. They will hang in chaeto but I most often see them in the slimier hair algae. Swipe some of that and you will generally see them crawling on your fingers. Also, if you want confirm life, check the debris in your flow, you can often see a molted husk drifting by.