Small bugs come out at night and irritate corals

[Roemer’s Reef]

I’m pretty new to the hobby and this is my first post on here, so hey all! I’ve noticed at night and in the mornings when the lights come on that I have small bugs that come out and crawl all over the sand bed. They disturb my corals pretty bad at night….my corals all get pretty irritated, and my button scoly has started to retract the past couple days. Anyone have any idea what these could be and if they are actually eating my coral? I’ve attached a video of them

 

[fishski13]

For some reason the video is not working for me.

Are you sure these bugs are not pods of some sort. Usually pods come out at night and you can see them in the morning when the lights go on as they scatter away.

 

[Pkunk35]

For some reason the video is not working for me.

Are you sure these bugs are not pods of some sort. Usually pods come out at night and you can see them in the morning when the lights go on as they scatter away.

+1

You are seeing amphipods most likely. They will eat debris, dying flesh, algae and will romp around at night on everything. If coral are unhealthy they can certainly consume them but this is usually thought that the coral is unhealthy first before the pods come to eat it.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

the corals are not irritated, they always close at night, its natural, healthy coral will open up again when the lights come one.

 

[Jekyl]

Agree with above. Bugs are probably pods and a good thing. If corals are appearing irritated it's either their natural retraction during the night or other environmental issues causing it.

 

[littlebeard]

I can not see the video, however if they are amphipods, amphipods are a group of about 9900 different species. Some are harmless, some are not. In rare instances they have been reported to have attacked humans! Graphic News Link.

I actually had the misfortune of having some attack corals in my tank and if you search this forum find that I am not alone. The solution for me was a Red-Lined Wrasse. I believe any in the genus Halichoeres should do the job.

 

[ying yang]

Just downloaded video ( usually best to upload to YouTube then share link as others can just simply press play to view video)
But what I see is gamma ampripods ,with the tell tale arching of the body .
Screenshot from your video

Guide to Common Hitchhikers in Reef Tanks

Guide to Common Hitchhikers in Reef Tanks by @A Young reefer The purpose of this thread is to hopefully assist hobbyists in obtaining the correct id and method of treatment to common hitchhikers. Both; the good ones and the bad ones. 1)...

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And some other common hitch hikers

 

[Roemer’s Reef]

Thanks guys!! Should I be worried at all about the ampripods? Corals seem to be back out and somewhat happy this morning. My mushrooms and cloves usually never recede all the way to nubs in the night so that’s what had me worried. The scoly is still looking a little irritated. I’m running a fishless tank right now because I had a velvet outbreak about a month ago and now have all fish in quarantine tank…will the pods ever start eating corals out of hunger? I’m only spot feeling the corals every 3 days or so, so there isn’t a ton of left over food in there for the pods

 

[Jekyl]

Thanks guys!! Should I be worried at all about the ampripods? Corals seem to be back out and somewhat happy this morning. My mushrooms and cloves usually never recede all the way to nubs in the night so that’s what had me worried. The scoly is still looking a little irritated. I’m running a fishless tank right now because I had a velvet outbreak about a month ago and now have all fish in quarantine tank…will the pods ever start eating corals out of hunger? I’m only spot feeling the corals every 3 days or so, so there isn’t a ton of left over food in there for the pods

What are your current parameters?

 

[Roemer’s Reef]

What are your current parameters?

Current parameters are:
Salinity- 1.024
Temp: 79
PH-8.1
Calcium-430
AlK- 8.8
Mag- 1450
P04-0.1
Nitrates are a kind of high at 40 ppm can’t seem to get them lower than about 30 in the tank just added cheato and mangroves in the fuge, I was only running sea lettuce before
Run the refugium light 24/7

 

[SindoCanales]

Current parameters are:
Salinity- 1.024
Temp: 79
PH-8.1
Calcium-430
AlK- 8.8
Mag- 1450
P04-0.1
Nitrates are a kind of high at 40 ppm can’t seem to get them lower than about 30 in the tank just added cheato and mangroves in the fuge, I was only running sea lettuce before
Run the refugium light 24/7

Current parameters are:
Salinity- 1.024
Temp: 79
PH-8.1
Calcium-430
AlK- 8.8
Mag- 1450
P04-0.1
Nitrates are a kind of high at 40 ppm can’t seem to get them lower than about 30 in the tank just added cheato and mangroves in the fuge, I was only running sea lettuce before
Run the refugium light 24/7

I wouldn’t run the cheato 24/7 give it at least 4-6 of rest so it can start again. Do you have any fish ?? Maybe I didn’t read it but a 6 line wrasse is what I recommend everyone as a bit of pest control. They will eat a ton of pest this could be a natural option.

 

[Pkunk35]

I would make sure the pods are fed else I might worry a zoa head or acan might start lookin a little tasty to em…

for real tho, if detrivores don’t have food lying around they probably consume ,I would think, any bit of failing flesh which might cause them to attack coral faster? I think having fish usually solves this bc of leftover food but I noticed you are fishless right now…just a thought to remember the bottom of that food chain.

 

[Roemer’s Reef]

I would make sure the pods are fed else I might worry a zoa head or acan might start lookin a little tasty to em…

for real tho, if detrivores don’t have food lying around they probably consume ,I would think, any bit of failing flesh which might cause them to attack coral faster? I think having fish usually solves this bc of leftover food but I noticed you are fishless right now…just a thought to remember the bottom of that food chain

That’s what I was kind of worried about too, I’ve been feeding ocean magic to the tank every day but I’m not sure if they are getting it down on the bottom of the tank or not. I can put fish back into the tank in about 2 weeks, so hopefully the corals make it until then….there usually is a a little bit of left over food on the sand bed when I spot feed the corals a couple times a week

 

[Pkunk35]

Leave a half open small clam or some other kind of meaty food on the bottom at night. They will feast
Phyto ain’t gonna feed amphipod directly you are correct