Brine shrimp: good or bad?

Anihiel1 · Aug 24, 2020

I will have to look into this

mandarins are so exquisite

I’ma tempermental coral · Aug 24, 2020

Anihiel1 said:
I will have to look into this mandarins are so exquisite

I have a little spotted girl. She makes me sooo happy when I see her!! She’s growing like a weed and she’s nice and thick some may say she is a tad overweight lol. But she eats like a horse! Lol

ReefBeta · Aug 24, 2020

Those are amphipods, and I don't like them either. No fish really preys on them, not even mandarin. They're best to avoid, but you will get them eventually from frags.

Anihiel1 · Aug 24, 2020

A mandarin would not eat amphipods???
Nooooo don't crush my dreams!!!!!

Anihiel1 · Aug 24, 2020

I dont think they came from a plug, pretty sure its the reefbugs. They are also in my mantis tank and there's never been coral in there- even the liverock was separated out/was never in the DT. But i have dosed both tanks with reefbugs.

I’ma tempermental coral · Aug 24, 2020

zsxking said:
Those are amphipods, and I don't like them either. No fish really preys on them, not even mandarin. They're best to avoid, but you will get them eventually from frags.

I have first hand watched her snack on amphs! Maybe that is case by case with each fish?

ReefBeta · Aug 24, 2020

I’ma tempermental coral said:
I have first hand watched her snack on amphs! Maybe that is case by case with each fish?

really? Guess I should not surprise if a mandarin taking on an amphs when the opportunity presents itself. But from my experience of several mandarins, they never prey enough of them to bring down their numbers. Also amphipods usually move too fast for them, and don't show up a lot during the day. They only really coming out when lights are out, at which time the mandains went to sleep as well. For any fish to efficiently prey on those amphipods, it gotta be active at night.

ReefBeta · Aug 24, 2020

Anihiel1 said:
I dont think they came from a plug, pretty sure its the reefbugs. They are also in my mantis tank and there's never been coral in there- even the liverock was separated out/was never in the DT. But i have dosed both tanks with reefbugs.

https://www.marinedepot.com/reef-brite-reef-bugs-live-reef-food-3oz-85g this thing? I highly doubt it could introduce any kind of pods. It doesn't look like to have anything live in it, maybe besides some bacteria spore.

Young ampipod can be really small, like copepod/baby brine shrimp small. Introduced from frags and cross contaminated to other tanks is morelikely.

I’ma tempermental coral · Aug 24, 2020

zsxking said:
really? Guess I should not surprise if a mandarin taking on an amphs when the opportunity presents itself. But from my experience of several mandarins, they never prey enough of them to bring down their numbers. Also amphipods usually move too fast for them, and don't show up a lot during the day. They only really coming out when lights are out, at which time the mandains went to sleep as well. For any fish to efficiently prey on those amphipods, it gotta be active at night.

In his pictures it seems like his amphs are out with the lights on. That may change after a predator to them is introduced though lol. And while I believe you to be correct that a single mandarin wouldn’t severely cripple the population, if he does get one and it does take a liking to the amphs it may curb their rapid spread at minimum enough to keep the population in check. That doesn’t go without saying there are still a lot of “ifs” in my statement lol.

Anihiel1 · Aug 24, 2020

I had dosed various pods in maybe January? the usual mix from algaebarn then switched to reefbugs but perhaps it has taken this long for the population to build up.
Yes the lights were on in the pics (I'm a 'her' though LOL) they are definitely out during the day- they are evvvvvverywhere. My sandbed moves. They're at various stages of development crawling in every crevice of the rocks. They're flying around in the flow molting. I haven't checked after lights out but if thats when they are most active I'm almost afraid to look!

I’ma tempermental coral · Aug 25, 2020

Sorry!!! As a her herself that gets called a him sometimes as well I sincerely apologize!!!

Anihiel1 · Aug 25, 2020

So interestingly- just checked. Midnight here. Full dark in the mantis tank, almost dark in DT. I see nothing in either tank. Guess they've got to sleep SOMEtime. Could i have some weird strain that is active during daylight...? Perhaps they learn when the food comes?

Anihiel1 · Aug 25, 2020

I’ma tempermental coral said:
Sorry!!! As a her herself that gets called a him sometimes as well I sincerely apologize!!!

No worries at all- with my username its hard to tell haha. Hubby & i made up a nonsense-name years ago to use for emails, anagram of letters from our actual names- harder to hack. My pic is a shoutout to another name i use "Noeboddie". Spelled wrong to get past social media name-censors. LOL

I’ma tempermental coral · Aug 25, 2020

Anihiel1 said:
So interestingly- just checked. Midnight here. Full dark in the mantis tank, almost dark in DT. I see nothing in either tank. Guess they've got to sleep SOMEtime. Could i have some weird strain that is active during daylight...? Perhaps they learn when the food comes?

That is interesting. I do have good pod activity during the day but he is correct in saying amphs are mostly nocturnal. Any time I see my little girl get them is dusk and dawn light cycles in the tank. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her grab a full size amph in the full day lights.

ReefBeta · Aug 25, 2020

Do you have any fish in the tank? Maybe lack of predator really change their behavior. The picture also shows a slight red tint on them. Do they actually slightly red? I don't think I ever see one that color. Maybe it's a different species? There are hundreds of species of amphipods that all look the same. So it's not surprising if it's different one.

Anihiel1 · Aug 25, 2020

zsxking said:
Do you have any fish in the tank? Maybe lack of predator really change their behavior. The picture also shows a slight red tint on them. Do they actually slightly red? I don't think I ever see one that color. Maybe it's a different species? There are hundreds of species of amphipods that all look the same. So it's not surprising if it's different one.

Yes definitely red/orange in the sandbed, the color of a cooked shrimp... but I have also have seen larger white ones in the live rock.

I’ma tempermental coral · Aug 25, 2020

zsxking said:
Do you have any fish in the tank? Maybe lack of predator really change their behavior. The picture also shows a slight red tint on them. Do they actually slightly red? I don't think I ever see one that color. Maybe it's a different species? There are hundreds of species of amphipods that all look the same. So it's not surprising if it's different one.

I think she said something about a foxface and some clowns and cardinals. Nothing that would be particularly predatory towards a vast pod population regardless of its species. I still stick with my mandarin suggestion lol. Like I said that is something I very rarely suggest! With her current population of amphs I can only imagine what other species is in there and how many of them. Even if the mandarin doesn’t go after the amphs she still should have a strong enough population of other pods to support it and who doesn’t want a happy healthy mandarin!!! But here is another suggestion I haven’t seen yet, but to be honest I don’t know enough about them to have real faith in my suggestion because I’ve only ever had a monster arc eye. What about hawk fish? Will any of the smaller specimens predate amphs?

Anihiel1 · Aug 30, 2020

I’ma tempermental coral said:
So just for kicks I decided to look at the tank after dark. Like 3am. And there's another, much larger species. White, long antennae and about 1/4 inch or bigger. Living in holes in the rock. Tons of juveniles crawling everywhere. Once i got past the OMGWTF moment, I do have to admit my zoas are very very clean between the polyps.