Nano-suitable copepod predators?

[Anonymous]

I have an excessive cope population. They cover all the rocks and all the tank sides. It's not a problem, I know they aren't hurting a thing, but I thought it would be neat to have something in there to keep the population under control. Not eradicate them.
I know Dragonette's eat them up, but I'm not putting one of those in a 10g.
Any reef-safe shrimp/crabs/etc that munch on copes? Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Anonymous]

Sexy Shrimp immediately come to mind, along with Bumblee shrimp, and if you can get a good one a Pom pom crab is a lot of fun to watch.

 

[Anonymous]

Barnacle Blenny.

White Flatworms.

Mysid Shrimp.

 

[Anonymous]

...White Flatworms.

:lol: Guy!

 

[Anonymous]

heh, yeah, I think I've had enough of the flatworms/planarians I think.

Now, barnacle blenny's are pretty suitable for my size tank. Actually, I would guess most all blenny's or gobies would eat cope's, wouldn't they?
I'll check out those shrimps as well.

 

[Anonymous]

I think a Wetmorella wrasse would be best.

Or maybe a Pseudocheilinops ataenia.

 

[Be11yDancer]

You should net them up and sell them on ebay!

I just paid $40 for 1000 . . . . and a bottle of Phytofeast . .

 

[impur]

You should net them up and sell them on ebay!

I just paid $40 for 1000 . . . . and a bottle of Phytofeast . .

Thats a good idea!!

How about a sixline wrasse?

 

[Anonymous]

Mmm, Matt, my favorite: Pseudocheilinops ataenia. my next fish. Been wanting one for a few years now. I got several last year from PAF, but let them all go to locals

Bellydancer, the difference here is, your paying for a pure/isolated strain. If you need advice, feel free to contact me here.

 

[Anonymous]

FWIW, the ataenia is far more easy going then a sixline. Sixlines can be very aggresive to others, if you plan on having others ever.

 

[Anonymous]

They get along with possums, fwiw.

I had the two in a 40 gallon last year. The ataenia croaked after 3 or 4 days. Still not certain why. No aggression from other fish, it was eating, and looked normal. :? Other folks have told me they acclimated just fine.

 

[clippo]

I think you'll find that if you leave them, the population will dwindle naturally. This happens with all sorts of creatures in a newly established reef as they take advantage of abundant resources until they are all used. At this point the population will crash naturally. Actually, they are probably playing a useful role in the tank - substrate living pods consume detritus amongst other things.

As such I think its a bad idea to introduce an obligate pod predator, particularly a fish, and especially if its a newish tank. When the pods are gone (which won't take long in a 10gal), if its a finicky feeder like a couple of those wrasses, you'd need to provide an suitable alternative food source which could be difficult.

 

[Anonymous]

I think you'll find that if you leave them, the population will dwindle naturally. This happens with all sorts of creatures in a newly established reef as they take advantage of abundant resources until they are all used. At this point the population will crash naturally. Actually, they are probably playing a useful role in the tank - substrate living pods consume detritus amongst other things.

As such I think its a bad idea to introduce an obligate pod predator, particularly a fish, and especially if its a newish tank. When the pods are gone (which won't take long in a 10gal), if its a finicky feeder like a couple of those wrasses, you'd need to provide an suitable alternative food source which could be difficult.

Neither of those wrasses are obligate pod predators IMO. Both have taken to frozen mysis, flake, etc. right off the bat IME.

 

[Anonymous]

As such I think its a bad idea to introduce an obligate pod predator, particularly a fish, and especially if its a newish tank. When the pods are gone (which won't take long in a 10gal), if its a finicky feeder like a couple of those wrasses, you'd need to provide an suitable alternative food source which could be difficult.

Right. I don't want an animal that subsists solely on live food, just something that will pick them off between meals. That's why the shrimp suggestions are looking better to me.
Althogh those wrasses are beauts. I need to start up a decent sized tank again before I get into fish like that.

 

[Anonymous]

What do you mean 'fish like that'? In case it's not clear both of those wrasses are very small full grown, and neither one are obligate pod predators like a mandarin. I would consider both of them to be much more suitable to a typical 10 gallon reef tank than a sexy or bumblebee shrimp, and much better at eating copepods too.

 

[Anonymous]

Matt, aren't bumble bee shrimp obligatge feeders themselves?

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know that they're obligate, but they do feed on the pedicellerae/tube feet of sea urchins. I had one for a year with a Diadema urchin. It seemed to do fine, but the only time I would ever see it was at night when the urchin was out cruising around.

 

[clippo]

bumblebees shrimps are not obligate - I have a pair that eat a variety of foods and are out during the day too.

With regard to the fish, my point is that they will soon strip a tank that size of pods, being specialised to feed on that food source. At that point, you have two problems - no more pods and a fish that you have to get to take frozen/dry foods.

neither one are obligate pod predators like a mandarin

all this depends on your definition of 'obligate' by the way. I have a mandarin that eats frozen food. :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

bumblebees shrimps are not obligate - I have a pair that eat a variety of foods and are out during the day too.

With regard to the fish, my point is that they will soon strip a tank that size of pods, being specialised to feed on that food source. At that point, you have two problems - no more pods and a fish that you have to get to take frozen/dry foods.

neither one are obligate pod predators like a mandarin

all this depends on your definition of 'obligate' by the way. I have a mandarin that eats frozen food. :wink:

1) Having no pods doesn't sound like a problem, if he's trying to get rid of them. I for one don't see the need to rid a tank of copepods, but if he wants to those wrasses will do a bang up job of it.

2) Both those wrasses take to prepared foods quite readily. Otherwise I wouldn't have suggested them.

Absolutely agree with the 'obligate' thing. I used it loosely. There are always exceptions to the rule. The vast majority of mandarins don't take to prepared foods.