what eats amphipods and copepods?

[Anonymous]

My tank is a 29g and has been running for about 18 months. It has a mixture of caribsea aragamax and whatever the next particle size up from that is. (I forget what they call it). The bed varies from 2" to 3", most of it is 3". I do not have "live rock", just coral rock which has been in the tank for about a year. But, I have millions amphipods, copepods and I believe mysid shrimp also, which are all over in the sand and on the rocks. They must have come into my tank with the blue legged hermits and snails that I buy at my LFS. Anyway, can you have too many of these? Should I get something that will eat them to keep them under control? I don't want them wiped out or anything. I have 1 yellow tang, 1 hepatus tang and 1 maroon clown. I believe mandarins eat them don't they. But aren't mandarins hard to keep anyway? Thanks for any info.

 

[Anonymous]

My jap. wrasp eats almost everything, they stay real small and don't bother clams or coral.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't keep a mandarin in a 29. It won't sustain a population once the mandarin starts to eat the critters that are in there. I wouldn't worry about your amphipod and copepod population. They are good things to have. A pseudochromis will eat them also, but I wouldn't add a predator if it were my tank.

-Jim

 

[Anonymous]

A six line wrasse will eat them, but it'll also eat bristle worms, which are deemed to be good substrate mixers. I have a nice population in my 30 gallon and I intend to keep it; I don't believe one could have too many as the numbers should decrease when food becomes scarce for them. HTH

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My drug habit cost less, but reef colors are better!

 

[Anonymous]

I'll take 'em if you don't want 'em

 

[Anonymous]

yes, i had a pseudocromis beauty in my tank for about a year and it wiped out any bristle worms and i don't see any amps or copes in the sand or rock. i still see spagetti worms ( i'm suprised it didn't eat them) anyone with a bristle worm overpopulation can lower it with these guys for sure.

 

[Anonymous]

I would let them be. They are a great natural food for the fish as well. I don't know of any fish that won't eat them. I am sure your tangs eat them, just not in huge numbers. If you really think you have too many of them, there are a number of awesoem fish that would snack on them. These fish include: Fridmani basslet, Royal Gramma, Black cap basslet, and a long nose hawk.

Basslets, as a group, can be aggresive. So one might add one after the other fish are well established. The long nose hawk is a great fish too. THey are peaceful and interesting to watch. One word of caution though, they are known jumpers. A covered tank will be the best cure for that. If your tank is open top, I'd go for the fridmani, the color is awesome.

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#reefs channel operator