PE Predator - Macro

[Nikon_Guy]

I noticed a couple of threads pertaining to pods being the scourge of PE’s. For the folks that have never seen one close up, I thought I would post a macro I took of an amphipod in my fuge one night. For size relationship, the “stones†seen in the background is crushed coral substrate.

Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start a predator gallery.

 

[divecj5]

Nice macro Nikon_Guy. That's a pretty good sized amphipod there. I remember seeing tons of those in my tank until I added my six-line I no longer have the six-line but I think he pretty much decimated the population.

I think that would be a cool idea for a gallery.

Adam

 

[MarvinsReef]

I'm not sold on the pods eating the PE's idea. I personally think the PE's start to go south and then the pods are a secondary reaction and they go after the dead tissue. I have huge pods as I don't have any fish to eat them, I see them climb all over my PE types and they never do anything. But who knows... It's like the chicken and the egg, which came first. :lol:

I'm also thinking this as well.. my PPE's are on the sand bed and I haven't seen them get eaten or anything of the sort.. and I've had them there since I got the 32g back up..

I also have the PPRPE, True RPE & GPE on the sand bed as well and they aren't showing any predation symptoms... (knock on wood though)

btw: awesome macro Brice..

 

[JGoslee]

Great pic nikon guy!

 

[fishes2889]

I've never had any problem with these guys either. I don't think it could be caused by the pods at all actually. There just has to be some logical solution to what is either bothering them or eating them.

I have seen small, medium, and large pods crawl all over some of my PE's (Red, Green) and have never mistaken them for a snack at all....

JMO

Steve

 

[fishes2889]

Oh yeah and by the way, you have the best camera skillz here on CZ.

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Oh yeah and by the way, you have the best camera skillz here on CZ.

Aww cut it out, you're makeing me blush.

I am inclined to agree with you about the pods showing up only when there is rot or decay as a secondary predator. However there has been some debate here and elsewhere.

I feel the same way about emerald crabs. Some people think they eat zoa’s and various other coral. I have observed the three I have (One is almost big enough to make crab cakes out of) and although I have seen them sitting on zoanthid colonies, never do they bother a polyp. The do however very methodically clean and eat waste matter from between the polyps and on the rock they are growing.

 

[surfn]

I'm not sold on the pods eating the PE's idea. I personally think the PE's start to go south and then the pods are a secondary reaction and they go after the dead tissue. I have huge pods as I don't have any fish to eat them, I see them climb all over my PE types and they never do anything. But who knows... It's like the chicken and the egg, which came first. :lol:

i am going to have to agree with that assessment also.

i think its a secondary thing after something has already munched on them. then they smell that decaying flesh and go for it.

my evidence would be the fact that i hardly have any pods in my tanks at alll. i have a mandarin, and a sixline, and over top of that, i treated my tank for a few red bugs yesterday. the interceptor treatment will kill all pods in the tank. i saw plenty of small dead amphipods (the small ones right?), but i didnt see any of the larger coepods.

the coepods are the big ones right?

i still think some of my bristleworms are suspect, but that wouldn't explain why the ones way up on top of a frag rack got messed with also. no bristleworm is gonna get up there for sure.

so that leaves those tiny white starfish...that i've still yet to ever see directly on top of a zoa...

...its a mystery.....

 

[Azurel]

I know for fact they will and do eat polyps, none of my RPEs were sick or dying. In fact every frag I have had were in great health. They started to miss their skirts and would open and the only thing that was left was the face of the polyp. When closed the skirts are the closest thing in the open hole of the polyp, I have seen them on top of the polyps with their head in the hole which leads me to believe that the skirts are the first thing to go missing. All of the first 3 frags I had all died or were being eatin the same exact way. My fourth frag that I have now began having this happen as well, so I moved it high up in the frag rack and they have since left it alone and it has healed and began to grow. I have seen it first hand at night when the polyps are closed and most predators are in slumber. It would make sense see as how if the pods come out during the day they would become prey as most pods aren't seen during the day. I would have to assume as well that once they begin to do this it is because they are overpopulated and resources are low for the population. I will not say though that they are specific predators of polyps but just as a necessary resource for when times get hard. I have had less issues with them since adding my 6line wrasse. I had no issues when I had my Mandarin which I think are much better pod eater then the 6line wrasses...