How to get rid of Amphipods

[TheMysticGriffin]

So I've got a problem with amphipods, there are thousands of them in my reef tank literally everywhere is blooming with amphipods and I want to get rid of them. They irritate my corals so much that my corals are nearly retracted during most of the day because of them, my acantho was normally retracted I took it, turned it upside down and shook it before putting it back in its place and it got huge expanded nearly 3x its size, I'm convinced these bugs are bothering my corals which are nearly all LPS corals. Is there any way I can get rid of them? I cannot place any fish in the tank because I have marine ich and I am on a fallow period, I've got a skunk cleaner shrimp that does not seem to be hunting them often. I need to get rid of them somehow they are bothering my corals as I have seen the acantho that never expanded expand extremely well after I got rid of the amphipods on him, are there any inverts that consume these creatures?

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

I am so sorry, the website said there was a temporary problem and when I clicked it, it posted 4 of the same message. Could a moderator delete 3 of these posts? I'm so sorry I accidentally did this.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Two solutions here. 1. Feed more 2. Stop feeding. There are reports that amphipods will eat coral tissue if no other food is avaliable (@ISpeakForTheSeas can tell you more) and an alternative food source would stop this behavior. On the contrary, a surplus of food can cause the population to grow exponentially, which could be what's happening

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

And of course Halichoeres wrasse, thalassoma wrasse, triggerfish, butterflyfish and many others will all eat them. I'm sure there's an invert that will prey on them but it probably wouldn't be reef-safe

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

I do feed a lot I think I should stop feeding, I feed like 4 times per week, should I drop that to like 1 times per week because I think corals can take nutrition directly from the water column right?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I do feed a lot I think I should stop feeding, I feed like 4 times per week, should I drop that to like 1 times per week because I think corals can take nutrition directly from the water column right?

It depends how much you feed and how big your tank is

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

120 liters, half a block of mysis and 1 block of cyclops frozen.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I also have alot of amphipods in my 120 LPS system. Like the sandbed literally comes alive when food hits the water. I feed a cube of coral food daily and they don't seem to bother corals, I've been running fishless for 10 months as I'm still waiting for an import that survives QT

 

[kevgib67]

When you can a sixline wasse will take care of them.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

120 liters, half a block of mysis and 1 block of cyclops frozen.

I'd say spotfeed the mysis and broadcast feed the cyclops. I use coral cuisine (used to use Hikari coral gumbo which worked just as well)

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

Oh, could they be predatory amphipods? But they are super small like the largest one is 2 centimeters max.

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

When you can a sixline wasse will take care of them.

I had one he was a great fish until he sadly jumped out during treatment.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Oh, could they be predatory amphipods? But they are super small like the largest one is 2 centimeters max.

Oh, that variety of amphipods. Method still works the same but I have the smaller, 2-5 mm black-and-white burrowing amphipods

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

I'd say spotfeed the mysis and broadcast feed the cyclops. I use coral cuisine (used to use Hikari coral gumbo which worked just as well)

I'll do that, thank you for the advice.

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

Oh, that variety of amphipods. Method still works the same but I have the smaller, 2-5 mm black-and-white burrowing amphipods

To your knowledge, are there any that eat corals?

 

[kevgib67]

I had one he was a great fish until he sadly jumped out during treatment.

They are jumpers. After water changes I always count my fish and check the floor.

 

[Terrapod]

If you have no fish, you shouldn't be feeding much at all, depending on the coral as most will do just great with light and good water chemistry.

Have you tested your water to work out if the stability could be the reason?

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

If you have no fish, you shouldn't be feeding much at all, depending on the coral as most will do just great with light and good water chemistry.

Have you tested your water to work out if the stability could be the reason?

The only problem is high phosphates, but I don't think that causes coral retraction.

 

[Terrapod]

The only problem is high phosphates, but I don't think that causes coral retraction.

High phosphate can kill coral depending on the levels.

How high are we talking, over 0.2?

 

[TheMysticGriffin]

Test kit is outdated but it is high enough that there is diatom growth on the shell of the cleaner shrimp.