Amphipods as a clean up crew

  • Thread starter Thread starter Paul B
  • Start date Start date
  • Tagged users None

Paul B

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
18,631
Reaction score
64,158
Location
Long Island NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a theory. I collected to many amphipods in the Long Island Sound so I am giving a few thousand away to someone who is coming tomorrow to take them, but in the meantime I am keeping them in a bare tank as I can't put them in my reef as it is overwhelmed with them already.
I have to change the water twice a day as there is no bacteria or anything else in there and these things eat so much. I think they are a fantastic, free, self maintaining clean up crew. I have collected these things all my life and I just thought of them as food, for the fish, not me although I never tasted them. I was thinking last night about this. I was thinking mostly about Supermodels but amphipods also came through. There is no algae in my tank, but there should be. I have an algae trough but there is no algae growing in it, just amphipods, tubeworms and brittle stars. I feed the amphipods in the spare tank with flakes or pellets and they are all over it like a cheap suit. A pellet has a life span as long as Lindsey Lohan's fame.
I am thinking that these suckers that are all over my tank are eating any algae as soon as it grows. I could be wrong as I am wrong about most things including ways to grow hair. Amphipods are also legal as there is no commercial use for them that I know of. There is no "Save the Amphipod" movements. I am going to look for some algae and if I find some, I will put some in the little pod tank I have to see if they eat it. If they do, I will set up a small pool in my yard and raise some just for kicks because I can't harvest them in my reef. I can collect them every day but I have a life and any minute a Supermodel may come knocking at my door.
This may be bigger than the internet, bigger than Myley Cyrus, more important them Spam or Hamburger helper. :becky:

Video
 
Cool! Following!
 
Cool! Following!​

OK, but don't follow too closely in case I stop short.
 
They are an amazing CUC! You can culture them with phytoplankton as they are filter feeders as well as algae and detritus.
 
I shipped a bunch of them to Bob Goemans in Arizona. He called to thank me for the boiled shrimp.

You don't need phytoplankton, they eat flakes, pellets, tater tots, beef strogonoff, hamburger helper, M&Ms etc.
 
Last edited:
From what I read the phytoplankton has the advantage of not feeding them every day. When the water loses its green tint then they need fed again. You are right though, they will eat most anything. I just seeded my seahorse tank with 2000 of them,( although In didn't count to make sure I recieved every one!)
 
More important than Spam? You've gone too far Sir.
 
I don't know if you are a girl or not, but Supermodels are also afraid to give me their address, I am not sure why.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
Back
Top