Amphipod eater wanted (must meet some requirements)

[Tori]

Will any of these wrasse eat zoa eating nudibranchs?

I'm pretty sure my Wetmorella and Pinkstreak wrasse are keeping my Monti eating nudibranchs in check. That or the nudibranchs just died off from poor water quality

 

[eatbreakfast]

So you know this from experience?

Feed the pods. IME, if you feed your pods and have lots of rock for pod habitat, you can keep a mandarin long term in tanks as small as 20 gallon (never tried smaller).

Mandarins consume a pod every few seconds, this amounts to 1000's consumed everyday, outpacing the rate in which pods are added. They need to consume them at this rate because their digestive tract is very short.

Yes, there are some that have successfully kept mandarins in that small of a tank, but agreatee number of people that try it just doom the mandarin to a slow death by starvation.

 

[Vaughn17]

Mandarins consume a pod every few seconds, this amounts to 1000's consumed everyday, outpacing the rate in which pods are added. They need to consume them at this rate because their digestive tract is very short.

Yes, there are some that have successfully kept mandarins in that small of a tank, but agreatee number of people that try it just doom the mandarin to a slow death by starvation.

Again, if you feed the pods properly and regularly, it isn't difficult. I kept a 3" mandarin in a 38 g for several years, and it didn't even dent the pod population. Also, I have currently have two mandarins in a 180 that is literally crawling with pods and they aren't eating a pod every few seconds. More like every 15 to 30 seconds, and they're both fat.

 

[Justin Swinney]

My clowns and bangaii caught every one visible. Vacation curse?

 

[Forsaken77]

So I want/need someone to dwindle my amphipod population. The vacation curse had struck and lost 99% of my corals and a few fish. Now the tank that has the issue is a 30 gallon biocube, no sump.

currently has 1 occelaris, and 2 pajama cardinals. Corals consist of zoanthids, a small hammer, and a plate coral. I will rebuild the sps so no polyp biters.

I would use a 6 line as my go-to but in a tank that small I think that is a problem for the day he turns into a psychotic monster. So, since the 6 line is out what is the best 30 gallon appropriate fish to keep these suckers at bay?

Yellow coris wrasse. Most wrasses hunt for pods all day.

 

[jsh mee]

I had a 3 1/2" dragonet, 2" target in my 120. They didn't put the slightest dent in the amphipod population. If anything it kept increasing. I think mandarins tend to go for other pods more than amphipods.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I had a 3 1/2" dragonet, 2" target in my 120. They didn't put the slightest dent in the amphipod population. If anything it kept increasing. I think mandarins tend to go for other pods more than amphipods.

This is correct. They feed on copepods ratherthan amphipods.

Again, if you feed the pods properly and regularly, it isn't difficult. I kept a 3" mandarin in a 38 g for several years, and it didn't even dent the pod population. Also, I have currently have two mandarins in a 180 that is literally crawling with pods and they aren't eating a pod every few seconds. More like every 15 to 30 seconds, and they're both fat.

I have found their average pace to be closee to about 7-10 seconds, but even at every 30 seconds for an 8hr photo period is 960. If they're pace is closer to 15 seconds and you have a 12hr photo period, your looking at 2880 a day.

There are always exceptions, but vast majority are not equipped to keep a mandarin in a 20g.

 

[pappdr]

My mandarin has lived in my Biocube for a year and a half. No issues. He now resides in my 180.
Not sure there is a real concern there. My guy thrived.

 

[videosilva]

Yellow wrasse HANDS DOWN. Beautiful yellow color and very peaceful.

 

[Vaughn17]

This is correct. They feed on copepods ratherthan amphipods.

I have found their average pace to be closee to about 7-10 seconds, but even at every 30 seconds for an 8hr photo period is 960. If they're pace is closer to 15 seconds and you have a 12hr photo period, your looking at 2880 a day.

There are always exceptions, but vast majority are not equipped to keep a mandarin in a 20g.

Yes, I agree that mandarins eat a lot of pods, but they don't eat nearly as quickly or as much as some wrasses. In fact, compared to the average wrasse, they eat in slow motion, lol.

Also, don't forget that the average reef tank pod is a Harpacticoid benthic or epibenthic copepod. Under proper conditions they reproduce heavily and have an extremely short live cycle (as short as a few days) from egg to adult.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Yes, I agree that mandarins eat a lot of pods, but they don't eat nearly as quickly or as much as some wrasses. In fact, compared to the average wrasse, they eat in slow motion, lol.

Also, don't forget that the average reef tank pod is a Harpacticoid benthic or epibenthic copepod. Under proper conditions they reproduce heavily and have an extremely short live cycle (as short as a few days) from egg to adult.

But wrasses spend significantly less time of their day feeding. They are involved in other interactions. A mandarin's main activity while awake is feeding, doing so nearly constantly while lights are on.

Again, there have been exceptions where mandarins have lived in a 20g tank, but in most cases that will not be successful.

 

[Vaughn17]

Again, it will be successful if hobbyists are willing to invest the time and effort to do it properly. It may be that the percentage of hobbyists willing to make such an investment is small. I don't know.