HELP! w/ Amphipods & Dragonettes

[JonnyTorch]

Please help! I'm scratching my head and worrying about these little guys. Really needing some solid advice here...
I've been able to keep a Scooter Blenny and a Mandarin in my 20g dosing Pods every month or so, without any issue. AIO tank with middle column as a lit refugium. Well over the last month I've noticed TONS of amphipods growing in large numbers, in the fuge and in the main tank. My Dragonets don't touch them. I have added a Six Line to help eat them.., but the six line will also eat tons of copepods too.. but it's only temporary I'm sad because I do KNOW that the Six Line will eventually decimate the amphipods & copepods and starve the others. My Scooter Blenny eats frozen no problem, but my mandarin is a little guy, captive bred BIOTA. They don't fight.

I've been thinking about lowering the water and flooding the overflow and fuge with freshwater to kill the amphipods.. they are growing and the large ones the Dragonetts want nothing to do with them (up to 1/4 to 1/2 an inch). They live for like a year so I'm worried they will gain traction. The Six line eats them no problem but with a small tank, I'm beginning to worry. The Mandarin needs to eat Pods and so does the Scooter, but when I keep adding copepods, the amphipods seem to eat the copepods too.. when I look in my fuge its TONS of amphipods. What can I do? Will flooding the fuge with freshwater for a while help out a lot?

This is giving me a headache. Not looking to tear down the tank. I'm afraid my refugium in the back of my All in One is small. About my arm's width/length. I'm worried about the copepods being decimated by the Wrasse, and the mandarin starving out. It's a small tank. The idea was to throw in the Six Line to help combat the amphipods infestation, but he's got a fat gut now and I'm worried the pods wont be enough for the mandarin. I can keep adding pods all day, but the issue being that Amphipods will eat copepods and reproduce, the amphipods will eat the offspring/eggs of copepods, and the six line will eat both the copepods and amphipods leaving the mandarin and scooter blenny to die.

Any ideas? What would you do? Thanks

 

[MaxTremors]

The mandarin is the only real issue. If the scooter/oscillated dragonet (they aren’t blennies, not even the same order) is eating frozen food, it’ll be fine (obviously having copepods to eat is the better option, but it won’t starve or be malnourished eating frozen). In terms of boosting your copepod population and mitigating the predation of copepods by amphipods, I would put some marine pure blocks (or similar) in your fuge and even hid some in your display if you can, copepods can fit in the little holes of these and amphipods can’t. You can also dose some live phytoplankton (might as well order it with the copepods) which will help feed the copepods and encourage them to breed. I’ve also noticed a massive increase in pod population every time I have any sort of bacterial bloom, so you could maybe try adding some bottled bacteria to see if that will increase their population.

I would focus more on providing safe spaces and food for the copepods than on eradicating the amphipods, as you’re just not going to be able to get rid of them. I might even get rid of the six line as I don’t think it’s going to make a huge dent in the amphipod population and removing anything that you can thats eating copepods will help. And lastly, make sure to feed you scooter (and six line if you keep it) heavily so that they’re less likely to eat pods, which will leave as many as possible for the mandarin (and keep trying to get it on frozen, try baby brine shrimp).

 

[JonnyTorch]

The mandarin is the only real issue. If the scooter/oscillated dragonet (they aren’t blennies, not even the same order) is eating frozen food, it’ll be fine (obviously having copepods to eat is the better option, but it won’t starve or be malnourished eating frozen). In terms of boosting your copepod population and mitigating the predation of copepods by amphipods, I would put some marine pure blocks (or similar) in your fuge and even hid some in your display if you can, copepods can fit in the little holes of these and amphipods can’t. You can also dose some live phytoplankton (might as well order it with the copepods) which will help feed the copepods and encourage them to breed. I’ve also noticed a massive increase in pod population every time I have any sort of bacterial bloom, so you could maybe try adding some bottled bacteria to see if that will increase their population.

I would focus more on providing safe spaces and food for the copepods than on eradicating the amphipods, as you’re just not going to be able to get rid of them. I might even get rid of the six line as I don’t think it’s going to make a huge dent in the amphipod population and removing anything that you can thats eating copepods will help. And lastly, make sure to feed you scooter (and six line if you keep it) heavily so that they’re less likely to eat pods, which will leave as many as possible for the mandarin (and keep trying to get it on frozen, try baby brine shrimp).

I have marine pure blocks, chaeto, and ceramic and I also have a sponge/carbon in the overflow. I also dose Phyto daily. The mandarin is 1" long, his mouth can't handle anything over a single Copepod. I have safe places for Copepods, but the amphipods are just outnumbering all of them. Man I've added upwards or 10 bottles of Copepods in 2 months before, ( tisbe and tigs), and all I see are amphipods when I look. Hundreds of baby amphipods, which will only grow larger.

 

[JonnyTorch]

The mandarin is the only real issue. If the scooter/oscillated dragonet (they aren’t blennies, not even the same order) is eating frozen food, it’ll be fine (obviously having copepods to eat is the better option, but it won’t starve or be malnourished eating frozen). In terms of boosting your copepod population and mitigating the predation of copepods by amphipods, I would put some marine pure blocks (or similar) in your fuge and even hid some in your display if you can, copepods can fit in the little holes of these and amphipods can’t. You can also dose some live phytoplankton (might as well order it with the copepods) which will help feed the copepods and encourage them to breed. I’ve also noticed a massive increase in pod population every time I have any sort of bacterial bloom, so you could maybe try adding some bottled bacteria to see if that will increase their population.

I would focus more on providing safe spaces and food for the copepods than on eradicating the amphipods, as you’re just not going to be able to get rid of them. I might even get rid of the six line as I don’t think it’s going to make a huge dent in the amphipod population and removing anything that you can thats eating copepods will help. And lastly, make sure to feed you scooter (and six line if you keep it) heavily so that they’re less likely to eat pods, which will leave as many as possible for the mandarin (and keep trying to get it on frozen, try baby brine shrimp).

Also my scooter is FAT, he's a sausage.

 

[Tft12]

I know you mentioned your mandarin being small but you may want to give live white worms a try, maybe as something that could get that fish by until you figure out something better.

 

[Tchung23]

If it’s captive bred try TDO pellets. That’s what mine eat.

 

[OrionN]

Remove the Six line. The dragonettes will eat the baby amphipods and baby copepoes. Mature copepods and amphipods are too big for dragonettes.
Regardless, a 20 gal isn't large enough for you to keep two dragonettes in it. It does not mater what you do, it is not going to end well unless somehow you get them to eat prepared food. You can also become a slave to your dragonettes and feed them newly hatch brine shrimp daily with one of Paul B dragonet feeder.

 

[Tchung23]

Remove the Six line. The dragonettes will eat the baby amphipods and baby copepoes. Mature copepods and amphipods are too big for dragonettes.
Regardless, a 20 gal isn't large enough for you to keep two dragonettes in it. It does not mater what you do, it is not going to end well unless somehow you get them to eat prepared food. You can also become a slave to your dragonettes and feed them newly hatch brine shrimp daily with one of Paul B dragonet feeder.

Agreed. You need to get them on prepared foods. Once that happens you’ll feel much better. I remember the day my mandarins first started eating pellets. I was awesome.

 

[Daniel92481]

I have marine pure blocks, chaeto, and ceramic and I also have a sponge/carbon in the overflow. I also dose Phyto daily. The mandarin is 1" long, his mouth can't handle anything over a single Copepod. I have safe places for Copepods, but the amphipods are just outnumbering all of them. Man I've added upwards or 10 bottles of Copepods in 2 months before, ( tisbe and tigs), and all I see are amphipods when I look. Hundreds of baby amphipods, which will only grow larger.

I would agree that your wrasse, scooter, and mandarin might be too many pod hunters for your tank. Then add the amphipods too. These captive bred mandarins are pretty hardy though. I heard from someone that a way to tell if your mandarin is fat and happy is if you can see their spine or not. I really wouldn’t worry about it too much. They eat the smallest of pods. I see mine picking all day and can’t even see what he’s picking at! +1 for TDO pellets. Packed with nutrition that really brings out their colors.

 

[jazzfisher]

If you got your mandarin from Biota, they were trained to eat frozen & pellets. Jake from Biota suggested the TDO pellets like TChung23 said. It’s the smallest ones called B1. But my Biota also ate frozen from the day I got him (also tiny).

 

[Nhjmc]

Please help! I'm scratching my head and worrying about these little guys. Really needing some solid advice here...
I've been able to keep a Scooter Blenny and a Mandarin in my 20g dosing Pods every month or so, without any issue. AIO tank with middle column as a lit refugium. Well over the last month I've noticed TONS of amphipods growing in large numbers, in the fuge and in the main tank. My Dragonets don't touch them. I have added a Six Line to help eat them.., but the six line will also eat tons of copepods too.. but it's only temporary I'm sad because I do KNOW that the Six Line will eventually decimate the amphipods & copepods and starve the others. My Scooter Blenny eats frozen no problem, but my mandarin is a little guy, captive bred BIOTA. They don't fight.

I've been thinking about lowering the water and flooding the overflow and fuge with freshwater to kill the amphipods.. they are growing and the large ones the Dragonetts want nothing to do with them (up to 1/4 to 1/2 an inch). They live for like a year so I'm worried they will gain traction. The Six line eats them no problem but with a small tank, I'm beginning to worry. The Mandarin needs to eat Pods and so does the Scooter, but when I keep adding copepods, the amphipods seem to eat the copepods too.. when I look in my fuge its TONS of amphipods. What can I do? Will flooding the fuge with freshwater for a while help out a lot?

This is giving me a headache. Not looking to tear down the tank. I'm afraid my refugium in the back of my All in One is small. About my arm's width/length. I'm worried about the copepods being decimated by the Wrasse, and the mandarin starving out. It's a small tank. The idea was to throw in the Six Line to help combat the amphipods infestation, but he's got a fat gut now and I'm worried the pods wont be enough for the mandarin. I can keep adding pods all day, but the issue being that Amphipods will eat copepods and reproduce, the amphipods will eat the offspring/eggs of copepods, and the six line will eat both the copepods and amphipods leaving the mandarin and scooter blenny to die.

Any ideas? What would you do? Thanks

I had a similar issue my tank was infested with amphipods. I got a file fish and that sucker hunted and chowed down on amphipods it was crazy. Picked my 34 gal aio tank clean in no time. You’re lucky that your scooter and Mandarin don’t fight because my mandarin bullied the crap out of the smaller scooter all the time and I regularly stock pods and Both the mandarin and blenny eat frozen and pellets. Legit this mandarin costs me a lot of money as I’m adding 2-16 oz packed bottles of tisbe and tig pods to my sump and dt monthly with lights and return pumps off for a good half hour. I occasionally catch my mandarin coming to surface for pellets and when I hand feed him pods with a viral feeding baster. He’s healthy and chubby but they are constant grazers will eat hundreds of pods a day.

 

[afrokobe]

I honestly have the same problem in my tank. I ordered the pod pack from IPSF not knowing they were amphipods. Now my tank is over run with them. I can still see copepods in some places, but the amphipods vastly outnumber them. I think I need to add more marine pure blocks to the display. I might try to put a rotation of them in the fuge and switch them back and forth between the display.

I also got a pair of biota captive bred mandarins. I put them in an acclimation box the day I got them to try to get them to feed on prepared foods. The female decided to jump into the display, so I decided to just let them both out. I have no idea if they are eating the prepared food I am dropping in (frozen baby brine, TDO pellets, going to try some masstick next).

Should I try to catch the pair to be placed back into the acclimation container, so I can be sure they are eating? Right now both look fat and healthy, so I am not too concerned.... but going forward I don't want them to decimate my pod population. Or should if they are captive bred, should I trust they are eating the prepared foods?

 

[Tchung23]

Keep trying with prepared foods. If they are captive bred they will eat it. Mine just started finally eating frozen mysis! He’s 8 months old now.

 

[afrokobe]

Keep trying with prepared foods. If they are captive bred they will eat it. Mine just started finally eating frozen mysis! He’s 8 months old now.

Thanks, I might have overreacted too. My pods somehow have bounced back. I can see them more visibly, but still a ton of amphipods. Here's my male couple days after I got him.

 

[Nhjmc]

I’m lucky I guess because my mandarin eats anything from pellets to frozen but favors live pods obviously. I don’t have a fuge so I dose pods about once a month to my sump and dt with lights and all circulation off for a half hour then leave return pump off but turn wave maker only back on for another half hour. I leave skimmer off and remove all filter floss and mechanical filtration for one day.