Amphipod Armageddon
After some time spent watching my amphipods in action, and scrutinizing the aftermath, I have concluded that the little monsters are eating some of my zoas!! :eek
I had a look online to see what other people's experience has been and there are two decided camps: those who swear amphipods don't eat zoas and those who swear they do.
I have also noticed that I appear to have either two different species of amphipod or they are in two different life cycle phases - one sort is very large (size of my little finger nail) and transparent with iridescent flashes when they catch the light and the other sort is smaller and reddish-brown. The large ones are the ones I have watched nibbling on the zoas.
At first, I thought they were just cleaning algae or muck off the zoas but I have spotted one lot of zoas that have had their insides eaten out, leaving just the outside shell and I have watched one of the large amphipods driving its face into the top of a zoa from this cluster and, apparently, eating its insides.
Further research suggests a certain type of amphipod will eat certain types of zoas. Apparently they leave Palys alone.
My amphipods aren't nocturnal either - they are all over the zoas and swarming the tank 24/7, light or not.
So I am now on the hunt for a small, nano-size fish (or invert) - I'm thinking a Falco Hawk Fish - that will scoff the little beasts and wipe them out. My crabs apparently don't eat them - they seem to eat algae only and Mikhail didn't eat them either - way too big for his little mouth.
Other than eating some of the zoas, the amphipods irritate the zoas and morphs by walking over them all the time.
I suppose its possible the zoas will get used to it and ignore them after a while but there is also the personal feelings issue: amphipods look distressingly similar to giant fleas and seeing them swarming everywhere makes me want to flea-bath the cat and wash my hair repeatedly. URGH!!
So they have to go.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I had a look online to see what other people's experience has been and there are two decided camps: those who swear amphipods don't eat zoas and those who swear they do.
I have also noticed that I appear to have either two different species of amphipod or they are in two different life cycle phases - one sort is very large (size of my little finger nail) and transparent with iridescent flashes when they catch the light and the other sort is smaller and reddish-brown. The large ones are the ones I have watched nibbling on the zoas.
At first, I thought they were just cleaning algae or muck off the zoas but I have spotted one lot of zoas that have had their insides eaten out, leaving just the outside shell and I have watched one of the large amphipods driving its face into the top of a zoa from this cluster and, apparently, eating its insides.
Further research suggests a certain type of amphipod will eat certain types of zoas. Apparently they leave Palys alone.
My amphipods aren't nocturnal either - they are all over the zoas and swarming the tank 24/7, light or not.
So I am now on the hunt for a small, nano-size fish (or invert) - I'm thinking a Falco Hawk Fish - that will scoff the little beasts and wipe them out. My crabs apparently don't eat them - they seem to eat algae only and Mikhail didn't eat them either - way too big for his little mouth.
Other than eating some of the zoas, the amphipods irritate the zoas and morphs by walking over them all the time.
I suppose its possible the zoas will get used to it and ignore them after a while but there is also the personal feelings issue: amphipods look distressingly similar to giant fleas and seeing them swarming everywhere makes me want to flea-bath the cat and wash my hair repeatedly. URGH!!
So they have to go.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
