Spork3245
02/27/2014, 03:55 PM
Perhaps a silly question... But perhaps not! :reading:
Several months back some aiptasia began to grow in my refugium so I dropped two Peppermint Shrimps down there. A week later it was gone. Since I use a pre-filter sponge and occasionally run a sock, about twice a week I throw a handful of sinking pellets in the fuge for the shrimps, when I do I generally see them run out from under the LR rubble to grab some.
Over the past couple of months, I've noticed my pod population seemed to have dropped as I would often see large copepods/amphipods on my filter socks and sponges when doing changes/cleanings and would try to get them back into the water but I haven't seen many lately, at all really.
I don't have any "pod eating fish" yet as I planned on eventually getting a Mandarin. In fact, after my tank was established for about 5-6 months I "seeded" my fuge with two bags of pods from reefcleaners. So today, while purchasing a new Zoa and a Neon Goby from my LFS I decided to buy a bag of pods (same ones that reefcleaners sells). I floated the bag for about twenty minutes in my fuge and then dumped the pods in... A minute later I noticed my Peppermint Shrimps pop-out and go into the same reaction they give when I throw some pellets in there...
TLDR: Added a bag of pods to my 'fuge, Peppermint Shrimps popped out and went into what looked like a "feeding mode". For reference I also have about 4-5 hermits in my fuge but I can't imagine them putting any type of dent into a pod population.
So, basically, what's going on? Why am I having trouble getting a high pod population?
Several months back some aiptasia began to grow in my refugium so I dropped two Peppermint Shrimps down there. A week later it was gone. Since I use a pre-filter sponge and occasionally run a sock, about twice a week I throw a handful of sinking pellets in the fuge for the shrimps, when I do I generally see them run out from under the LR rubble to grab some.
Over the past couple of months, I've noticed my pod population seemed to have dropped as I would often see large copepods/amphipods on my filter socks and sponges when doing changes/cleanings and would try to get them back into the water but I haven't seen many lately, at all really.
I don't have any "pod eating fish" yet as I planned on eventually getting a Mandarin. In fact, after my tank was established for about 5-6 months I "seeded" my fuge with two bags of pods from reefcleaners. So today, while purchasing a new Zoa and a Neon Goby from my LFS I decided to buy a bag of pods (same ones that reefcleaners sells). I floated the bag for about twenty minutes in my fuge and then dumped the pods in... A minute later I noticed my Peppermint Shrimps pop-out and go into the same reaction they give when I throw some pellets in there...
TLDR: Added a bag of pods to my 'fuge, Peppermint Shrimps popped out and went into what looked like a "feeding mode". For reference I also have about 4-5 hermits in my fuge but I can't imagine them putting any type of dent into a pod population.
So, basically, what's going on? Why am I having trouble getting a high pod population?