Reef Discussion

[Jason Condello]

Hi People I'm new to the site, Just wondering if anyone knows what these little creatures are all over my live rock, there would have to be hundreds ???

Any help would be appreciated !

 

[MagicJ]

Hi @Jason Condello and :welcome

They are amphipods - good to have in your tank but you will find they will be decimated once you start adding fish.

 

[Jason Condello]

Thank you very much, i have had 2 clowns in there for about 3 months they must not feed on them.

cheers

 

[MagicJ]

Clowns will normally eat out of the water column rather than look for things on the rocks. The same can't be said for dottybacks, wrasse, hawkfish, gramma's etc.

 

[aussieant32]

:welcome

Good pod population there, as @MagicJ said anything that picks at the rocks will enjoy them

 

[Ian G]

Amphipods = good.

 

[MichelleShocked]

Am sooooo jealous!!! I'd kill to have that many amphipods coz then I could have another Mandarin Goby!! i LOVE those things but they can be tricky to feed if they're wild caught - they feed on copepods and the like and don't always take to artificial foods. Only really really mature tanks with a solid copepod/amphipod population can sustain a Mandy. They are fascinating little guys to watch hunt as well - they stand up on their tail and peer over ledges and "hover" like a hawk over the spot they are searching. And the colors!!!! Who needs drugs, right?? LOL