Saw an Amphipod or Copepod in my sump w/ Live Rock!!

[TangoTank]

Saw an Amphipod or Copepod in my sump w/ Live Rock!! I'm interested in possibly getting a Mandarin Goby. I need to know if it was an Amphipod or Copepod... A.) how do you tell the diff if I only saw it briefly before it scurried under the rock. I put light in my sump recently (there's no bio balls). There's a place for a sponge that kind of is bubble trap type area now that the sponge is gone. B.) Will the Amphipods/Copepods make their way up to the DT over that or do I need to remove the divider? C.) Also I have a cylindrical type sponge on my pump, do I need to remove that?? D.) And are skimmers in the sump detrimental to Amphipods/Copepods??

 

[herp_mommy]

copepod:

Amphipod:

if you saw one, then you have more. I would not get a mandarin until your tank is at least a year old. I waited until mine was 2 1/2 before getting a pair of target mandarins.

 

[TangoTank]

Ok, Thks!! This tank is old, but I don't know how long all this rock has been in it, etc & we just moved it to my house 1.5 months ago. I'm pretty sure I saw an Amphipod b/c it was u-shaped. And aren't Copepods REALLY tiny? I see lil reddish orange things in my filter sock & I can't tell what shape they are b/c they're so tiny. Those could be Copepods??

 

[herp_mommy]

yes, copepods are tinier than amphipods.

 

[TangoTank]

yes, copepods are tinier than amphipods.

So, I need Copepods for a Mandarin Goby, right?? And are the Amphipods bad either for Copepods or any other tank inhabitants??

 

[herp_mommy]

So, I need Copepods for a Mandarin Goby, right?? And are the Amphipods bad either for Copepods or any other tank inhabitants??

Smaller mandarins will probably only eat copepods. Since mine have grown, they've been snacking on both. They don't affect each other, typically. As long as you don't find the large, parasitic amphipods. (they will be LARGE) then you'll be good

 

[TangoTank]

Smaller mandarins will probably only eat copepods. Since mine have grown, they've been snacking on both. They don't affect each other, typically. As long as you don't find the large, parasitic amphipods. (they will be LARGE) then you'll be good

Great, Thks for this info! There's the tiniest lil dude at my LFS. He's probably 2"?? I think he's a spotted, either way he's beautiful. And I can feed him a supplemental diet, right?? Like just pour Copepods in or other foods. I feed my lil Ocellaris Clowns myesis. Would a mandarin not get along w/ an algae Blenny?

 

[Sniperhank]

Those guys would get along. How big is the tank? Keeping a large enough supply of pods is a struggle. I kept at it every 2 months adding more and don't think it was enough. He was always fat so I didn't worry. Just this week I caught him eating small mysis. Unexpected behavior I wasn't training for and is HIGHLY unlikely to ever happen if being trained with a feeding station. For any dragonette you'll want to prepare your tank for some time, culturing pods and having a lush Refugium for them to breed in.

 

[mr_X]

I do not suggest you get a mandarin. I don't think you can support one for very long. They eat a tremendous amount of pods and I would not suggest one for a smaller tank, and especially one that's as young as yours. It will slowly starve to death.

 

[TangoTank]

Those guys would get along. How big is the tank? Keeping a large enough supply of pods is a struggle. I kept at it every 2 months adding more and don't think it was enough. He was always fat so I didn't worry. Just this week I caught him eating small mysis. Unexpected behavior I wasn't training for and is HIGHLY unlikely to ever happen if being trained with a feeding station. For any dragonette you'll want to prepare your tank for some time, culturing pods and having a lush Refugium for them to breed in.

It's a 75 gal. I moved it, so does that make it "young?" I'm the 3rd owner, so I'm guessing 6/7-10 years old. I did a flashlight test, after the lights had been off a couple of hours I saw lots of bugs! Probably Amphipods. The previous owner even said to me, when you see bugs, don't worry about them, they're good. At the time, IDK what he was referring to but I knew it was an Eco-system so naturally I woulda just asked you guys what they were & not panicked. So, where does that leave me on having a Mandarin? I do not mind regularly supplementing his diet. Money is not an object all though I enjoy being thrifty & don't like spending more than I have to on equipment, feeding a neat fish is not a prob.

Also, although I ask these questions, I also research them. I like to get my answers from multiple sources. I would not let a fish starve. What amount of Copepods are we talking?

 

[TangoTank]

Those guys would get along. How big is the tank? Keeping a large enough supply of pods is a struggle. I kept at it every 2 months adding more and don't think it was enough. He was always fat so I didn't worry. Just this week I caught him eating small mysis. Unexpected behavior I wasn't training for and is HIGHLY unlikely to ever happen if being trained with a feeding station. For any dragonette you'll want to prepare your tank for some time, culturing pods and having a lush Refugium for them to breed in.

I did a flashlight test, after the lights had been off a couple of hours & I saw lots of bugs! Probably Amphipods. So, where does that leave me on having a Mandarin? I do not mind regularly supplementing his diet. Money is not an object although I enjoy being thrifty & don't like spending more than I have to on equipment, feeding a neat fish is not a prob.

I do not suggest you get a mandarin. I don't think you can support one for very long. They eat a tremendous amount of pods and I would not suggest one for a smaller tank, and especially one that's as young as yours. It will slowly starve to death.

It's a 75 gal. I moved it, so does that make it "young?" I'm the 3rd owner, so I'm guessing 6/7-10 years old. The previous owner even said to me, when you see bugs, don't worry about them, they're good. At the time, IDK what he was referring to but I knew it was an Eco-system so naturally I woulda just asked you guys what they were & not panicked.

Also, although I ask these questions, I also research them. I like to get my answers from multiple sources. I would not let a fish starve. What amount of Copepods are we talking?

 

[Sniperhank]

Dragonettes pick all day long. They eat a pod every minute they are awake. Even though it is a 75, I wouldn't try it without a thriving Refugium so the pods could reproduce in a safe place without being wiped out by the mandarin. Having a lot isn't always as much as you think, and can be consumed in one day alone. These fish are hard to keep.

 

[TangoTank]

Dragonettes pick all day long. They eat a pod every minute they are awake. Even though it is a 75, I wouldn't try it without a thriving Refugium so the pods could reproduce in a safe place without being wiped out by the mandarin. Having a lot isn't always as much as you think, and can be consumed in one day alone. These fish are hard to keep.

I appreciate your input. At what point can I get this fish? Why does Live Aquaria say 30gal+? I have a lighted sump w/ live rock I've converted to a semi-refugium & am going to put chaeto in it, I will seed it w/ Copepods. When will I know I've got it going well to get a Mandarin? Is a 75 just never going to support a Madarin?

 

[Sniperhank]

The Refugium really help produce the pods that you'd need. I'd seed it heavily and see what happens in terms of sustaining them in the cheato before making any decisions. They need a ton of pods. Even if you get one that eats mysis there is a chance they will revert back to pods only.

 

[TangoTank]

The Refugium really help produce the pods that you'd need. I'd seed it heavily and see what happens in terms of sustaining them in the cheato before making any decisions. They need a ton of pods. Even if you get one that eats mysis there is a chance they will revert back to pods only.

Ok, Thks! I'll start putting the pods in & I'll research the pods' life cycle and go from there. I'll check back in when I think I've got a good population going. I'm itching to put more fish in, besides CUC & a shrimp, I only have 2 fish!!

 

[mr_X]

I think the move could have stunned the growth of the pod population. I would try a mandarin in a 75, but I would give it 6 months or so first, providing there is enough rock.

 

[TangoTank]

I think the move could have stunned the growth of the pod population. I would try a mandarin in a 75, but I would give it 6 months or so first, providing there is enough rock.

Ok, sounds like a plan. Thks! I just wonder if there's any rule of thumb to test in 6 months that my pod population is good??

 

[TangoTank]

This is totally crazy, but I have million ba-jillion Copepods in my snail tank! I'd say 40+ per square inch & they're everywhere in the water column. I'm gonna throw a piece of filter floss in there, there already is live rock rubble. I'll use that filter floss to seed my refugium. I took a vid. I'll try to upload it to an online server & post it here. Looks like I'll have an ongoing supply of Copepods!! I'll put my daughter in charge of making sure the population is good & that'll keep her involved & busy!

So I guess I don't have to go buy any to get started!!

 

[TangoTank]

Here's a vid of my snail tank w/ Copepods

http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/TangoTank/media/75galSW/IMG_9892_zps4f586187.mp4.html

 

[Sniperhank]

Try the filter floss and see if you can keep that population up.