How would I get started rearing amphipods?

schmunkel98 · 04/02/2002, 08:43 PM

Hey everyone, well after hearing such good things about these little guys from Chris Shaw, Colin Dunlop, and even Jimbo Louis, I figured I need to get some in my tank ASAP. They not only function as a great algae clean up crew, but also eat all the stuff the octos and cuttlefish leave behind. My big question is how I would get these guys going in my tank? How many would it take to create a spawning population? What about the filters in my system chewing these guys up? I am also interested in their food value to little cuttlefish and octopus in case I get lucky and ever have eggs or juvenile cuttlefish. Would the adult or medium sized octopus/cuttlefish eat them as well, or are they too small at that stage? Let me know.

Thanks,

Mike

www.schmunkel.ocatch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/03/2002, 06:44 AM

Mike
I guess I probably have severa; billion amphipods in the reef/cuttle tank. Before I got the cuttles the shrimps used to keep the 'pods under control but the shrimps are no more.

I have seen the cuttles often catching a 'pod smaller than the length of their eye but I think that 'pod zapping may just be a sort of hobby for them lol I dont think they get much meat from them!

My amphipods came in with live rock and have multiplied by themselves. I know that you can get starter kits of pods from online sources in the US Maybe Chris knows where?????? Dont suppose my UK contacts are much use to you!

When i feed the cuttles on crabs the 'pods go right into the carapace of disgarded crabs and clean them out. They have travveled to all my tanks through the filter pump.....

The species I tried to use for my baby octos is Corophium volutator which I bought locally from a guy that specialises in native marine fish and inverts. I still have a couple hundred of them in an octo tank, difference is they make burrows in the sand, the 'pods in the cuttlefish just hang out on the rocks and hitch a lift on the turbo snails and Linckia starfish normally has a few between its arms....

Colin

schmunkel98 · 04/03/2002, 09:04 AM

Well, I got rid of the 30 turbo snails and 30 hermit crabs in the tank to make the food I offered their only source. So, my algae has creeped up on me a bit. I did add two sand sifting starfish and two sea cucumbers, but they could use some help.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

cephalopoder · 04/03/2002, 07:43 PM

Mike why did you get rid of your hermits ans snails? That's good stuff in a ceph tank.
As far as pods go, I cutlure them myself or collect them from the ocean. I actually sent jimbo some pods not to long ago for his young cuttles. You can order them online from a few places but good sources are hard to find. Florida aqua farms is where jim buys some of his. I placed a order with them a few weeks ago and had a horrible experience with them and felt totally ripped off. Just look up my post in the vender feedack sectiion. You can give them a try, I just hope you have better luck than me. If you can drive to the ocean you can collect your own. If you buy live rock pods will come in that. I find that they just kind of take off on their own once you have a few.
chris

schmunkel98 · 04/03/2002, 11:01 PM

Chris,

I got rid of the snails and hermit crabs because they were the reason I never saw the two original octos that I had. They had a great food source all around, so they would never come out to see me. Now, when I offer my cuttle food, it is the only food he gets. I think this should help establish me as someone good, not the grim reaper. I don't suppose you or Jimbo would consider shipping me a starter set of amphipods? I would pay for it of course.

Thanks,

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/04/2002, 08:00 AM

Mike, my cuttles leave the hermits and snails alone, no bother

Rudiger · 04/04/2002, 03:13 PM

newbie question i guess: What do amphipods look like?

A month ago I noticed that there were hundreds of little bug like creatures hanging around the glass where some algae was growing. There was a huge swarm of them crawling on the top of my heater and my pencil urchin was sitting right there and it looked like he was eating them. I havnt seen any for a little while though. Were those pods or something else?

schmunkel98 · 04/04/2002, 11:06 PM

I have a ton of these little mini-snails in my tank too. They are multiplying very fast and sometimes clog one of the powerheads in the tank. I usually scrape them off when I scrape off the algae.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

OctoMonkey · 04/05/2002, 02:55 AM

Hi Pat
they were probably amphipods.
They are pretty much like little shrimps that grow to only a few mm long.

http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin...threadid=39342

try that link for a pic

Colin

Rudiger · 04/05/2002, 05:56 AM

Thanks. I guess they all got filtered out of my tank or died because I havnt seen them in a while. However, last night i noticed a bunch of dots with tiny legs. I looked them up in a different forum last night, ends up they are hydroid, tiny little jellyfish. I guess they hitched a ride into my tank with the live rock i bought a few weeks ago. You can get more info on them on dr. rons site, under animal ID then odd critters.

pat

schmunkel98 · 04/05/2002, 10:33 AM

According to Dr. Ron's site, they are Ostracodes( http://www.rshimek.com/images/ROstracode.jpg ). Supposedly harmless and sorta beneficial. Anyway, they have multiplied like crazy in my tank. Would these guys be a good food source for baby cuttles or octos? I can't scrape them off of the glass with my magnet, but they come off with a scraper that has a metal tip. Even after my algae maintenance I still have hundreds of these guys in my tank.

Mike

www.schmunkel.0catch.com

Rudiger · 04/05/2002, 04:59 PM

these are what are in my tank now:

http://www.rshimek.com/images/RStaurocladia.jpg

there are a bunch of them on the front glass.

04/02/2002, 08:43 PM	#1
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	How would I get started rearing amphipods? Hey everyone, well after hearing such good things about these little guys from Chris Shaw, Colin Dunlop, and even Jimbo Louis, I figured I need to get some in my tank ASAP. They not only function as a great algae clean up crew, but also eat all the stuff the octos and cuttlefish leave behind. My big question is how I would get these guys going in my tank? How many would it take to create a spawning population? What about the filters in my system chewing these guys up? I am also interested in their food value to little cuttlefish and octopus in case I get lucky and ever have eggs or juvenile cuttlefish. Would the adult or medium sized octopus/cuttlefish eat them as well, or are they too small at that stage? Let me know. Thanks, Mike www.schmunkel.ocatch.com

04/03/2002, 06:44 AM	#2
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	Mike I guess I probably have severa; billion amphipods in the reef/cuttle tank. Before I got the cuttles the shrimps used to keep the 'pods under control but the shrimps are no more. I have seen the cuttles often catching a 'pod smaller than the length of their eye but I think that 'pod zapping may just be a sort of hobby for them lol I dont think they get much meat from them! My amphipods came in with live rock and have multiplied by themselves. I know that you can get starter kits of pods from online sources in the US Maybe Chris knows where?????? Dont suppose my UK contacts are much use to you! When i feed the cuttles on crabs the 'pods go right into the carapace of disgarded crabs and clean them out. They have travveled to all my tanks through the filter pump..... The species I tried to use for my baby octos is Corophium volutator which I bought locally from a guy that specialises in native marine fish and inverts. I still have a couple hundred of them in an octo tank, difference is they make burrows in the sand, the 'pods in the cuttlefish just hang out on the rocks and hitch a lift on the turbo snails and Linckia starfish normally has a few between its arms.... Colin __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/03/2002, 07:43 PM	#4
cephalopoder Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NH Posts: 902	Mike why did you get rid of your hermits ans snails? That's good stuff in a ceph tank. As far as pods go, I cutlure them myself or collect them from the ocean. I actually sent jimbo some pods not to long ago for his young cuttles. You can order them online from a few places but good sources are hard to find. Florida aqua farms is where jim buys some of his. I placed a order with them a few weeks ago and had a horrible experience with them and felt totally ripped off. Just look up my post in the vender feedack sectiion. You can give them a try, I just hope you have better luck than me. If you can drive to the ocean you can collect your own. If you buy live rock pods will come in that. I find that they just kind of take off on their own once you have a few. chris __________________ Master the food chain and you can rear anything.

04/04/2002, 08:00 AM	#6
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	Mike, my cuttles leave the hermits and snails alone, no bother __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/04/2002, 03:13 PM	#7
Rudiger Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NY Posts: 355	newbie question i guess: What do amphipods look like? A month ago I noticed that there were hundreds of little bug like creatures hanging around the glass where some algae was growing. There was a huge swarm of them crawling on the top of my heater and my pencil urchin was sitting right there and it looked like he was eating them. I havnt seen any for a little while though. Were those pods or something else? __________________ Homer: "Lets just plop them in front of the TV. I was raised in front of the TV and I turned out TV." current tank: www.rpi.edu/~marioj/galleries/tank octopus tank: http://www.rpi.edu/~marioj/octopus Current Tank Info: 55 gallon w/ sump and fuge

04/03/2002, 09:04 AM	#3
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Well, I got rid of the 30 turbo snails and 30 hermit crabs in the tank to make the food I offered their only source. So, my algae has creeped up on me a bit. I did add two sand sifting starfish and two sea cucumbers, but they could use some help. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/03/2002, 11:01 PM	#5
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	Chris, I got rid of the snails and hermit crabs because they were the reason I never saw the two original octos that I had. They had a great food source all around, so they would never come out to see me. Now, when I offer my cuttle food, it is the only food he gets. I think this should help establish me as someone good, not the grim reaper. I don't suppose you or Jimbo would consider shipping me a starter set of amphipods? I would pay for it of course. Thanks, Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/04/2002, 11:06 PM	#8
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	I have a ton of these little mini-snails in my tank too. They are multiplying very fast and sometimes clog one of the powerheads in the tank. I usually scrape them off when I scrape off the algae. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/05/2002, 02:55 AM	#9
OctoMonkey Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Larkhall, Scotland Posts: 694	Hi Pat they were probably amphipods. They are pretty much like little shrimps that grow to only a few mm long. http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin...threadid=39342 try that link for a pic Colin __________________ ...and the Earth died screaming, while I lay dreaming.

04/05/2002, 05:56 AM	#10
Rudiger Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NY Posts: 355	Thanks. I guess they all got filtered out of my tank or died because I havnt seen them in a while. However, last night i noticed a bunch of dots with tiny legs. I looked them up in a different forum last night, ends up they are hydroid, tiny little jellyfish. I guess they hitched a ride into my tank with the live rock i bought a few weeks ago. You can get more info on them on dr. rons site, under animal ID then odd critters. pat __________________ Homer: "Lets just plop them in front of the TV. I was raised in front of the TV and I turned out TV." current tank: www.rpi.edu/~marioj/galleries/tank octopus tank: http://www.rpi.edu/~marioj/octopus Current Tank Info: 55 gallon w/ sump and fuge

04/05/2002, 10:33 AM	#11
schmunkel98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Colony, TX Posts: 254	According to Dr. Ron's site, they are Ostracodes( http://www.rshimek.com/images/ROstracode.jpg ). Supposedly harmless and sorta beneficial. Anyway, they have multiplied like crazy in my tank. Would these guys be a good food source for baby cuttles or octos? I can't scrape them off of the glass with my magnet, but they come off with a scraper that has a metal tip. Even after my algae maintenance I still have hundreds of these guys in my tank. Mike www.schmunkel.0catch.com

04/05/2002, 04:59 PM	#12
Rudiger Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NY Posts: 355	these are what are in my tank now: http://www.rshimek.com/images/RStaurocladia.jpg there are a bunch of them on the front glass. __________________ Homer: "Lets just plop them in front of the TV. I was raised in front of the TV and I turned out TV." current tank: www.rpi.edu/~marioj/galleries/tank octopus tank: http://www.rpi.edu/~marioj/octopus Current Tank Info: 55 gallon w/ sump and fuge