Ampipod control in a 38 gallon reef only aquarium

[mcarroll]

Hey folks!

I'm keeping a 38 gallon reef-only tank (so far) and the amphipods are doing quite a bit "too well" as the "top predator". It's to the extent that they trim the skirts off my zoa's on a regular basis, and mob/eat live micro-brittle stars.

I'm looking for a fish (one) that will make a nice display as well as not be too shy to eat 1/2" amphipods, yet also not wipe out every bit of micro life in the main tank.

I'm leaning toward a Pseudochromis of some sort, but have also considered a sixline wrasee, midas blenny and possibly even a dragonet of some sort.

Any suggestions in addion to these would be welcome, as would an insight into how these fish would do (1) at amphipod control and (2) as a fish by itself.

Thanks in advance!
-Matt

 

[AuroraDrvr]

Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse. A little better behavior then a grumpy Six line. And it looks better (my opinion).

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1378+1152&pcatid=1152

 

[mcarroll]

Nice wrasse - will have to check into that one some more. Jumping is my biggest worry with a wrasse.

Seems like with only one fish (wrasse, or otherwise) it shouldn't be as likely to get spooked and jump.


Anyone else have thoughts on this or any other fish in this role?

Thanks in advance!
-Matt

 

[zooty]

I'd go wrasse (6 or maybe 8 line) as well. They will also eat prepared food.

Scooter blenny would also work. The red scooters are nice IMO

I'd pass on the dragonetts since they will eventually run out of food in that size tank.

Not sure about pseudochromis and midas eating pods.

 

[AuroraDrvr]

Scooter Blennies are also dragonettes and will also run out of food.

 

[mcarroll]

Radiant Wrasse?

Radiant Wrasse?

A friend also suggested a Radiant Wrasse.

Anyone here have thoughts about them one way or the other?

-Matt

P.S. I'd add than my sand bed is at most 2" -- a bit lower in spots. I do have my rock sitting on the bottom of the tank, not on the sand. Lastly, it's an open top tank. FWIW.

 

[zooty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15144190#post15144190 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AuroraDrvr
Scooter Blennies are also dragonettes and will also run out of food.

The scooter I had ate flake and mysis, same as the 6 line

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

A six line would become a terror and eventually would eat your pod population to a minimum, ditto for most of the pseudos and wrasses as far as the pods go, both just too active as a family for a 38 gallon and some of the pseudos are killers. If the tank were mine I would go for someting different like a pair of dragonface pipefish.

 

[stanlalee]

any small wrasse, psuedochromis or basslet will pick them off. I have a sixline and a royal gramma. they live in peace along with a false perc and do a fine job of natural predation. I really have the sixline as my 2nd line of defense for sps after the dip and introduction. It does a detailed once over on ANY new coral I place in the tank.

 

[lesleybird]

Get a flasher wrasse that stays small in the 3 and a half inch range. I would not get a sixline as a lot of them are mean. Had one that killed a royal gramma and a flasher wrasse. Others have related similar stories of mean sixlines on this site. Pseudochromas are also mean. A royal gramma would most likely eat them and they are not mean fish. A dragonet would run out of pods in a short period of time in your size tank as they usually don't eat prepared foods. Lesley

 

[AuroraDrvr]

It seems like jumping is a problem (rimless tank?). Therefore I wouldn't recommend a fairy or flasher wrasse.

 

[Mark426]

I have a 30G tank and like you I am into a coral tank and not a tank overpowered by fish. I also think that fish that are too large, look out of scale in smaller tanks and really take away from the look of the tank. For what your wanting this seems like a good one:
http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?did=1&pid=2293&cid=290
Live Aquaria gets them into their divers den often.
There is a guy on another forum that has one and he seems to be very happy with it for pod control.

 

[mcarroll]

For reference, I ended up getting a great six-line. His name is Jimmy. He was only about an inch and a quarter when I got him. As expected, 'pod sightings are about as rare as a blue moon now.

I've fed him a very scant few times - no more than once a week on average - with a quality flake. He's always fat and the sump is still crawling with 'pods (much higher mysid:amphipod ratio than the display tank had), so apparently that population is sustaining him well.

FWIW I also added a trio of peppermint shrimp a few weeks ago. Although their eggs hatch when Jimmy is asleep (yep, slept right through the hatch I saw) perhaps they're helping him out a bit too. I'm sure he at least cleans up any that survive til morning.

-Matt

 

[Bmgrocks]

I'm a huge fan of the Pseudochromis...
especially the fridmani

Great personality, not shy, striking color and body movement, and fun to watch chow down on the big amphipods

Have kept them with peppermint shrimp w/o a problem, some may or may not be aggressive to future tankmates; so just keep that in mind with new additions