Too Many Gammarus?

[Poriferan]

Is it possible to have too many gammarus? I let my tank go fisless for 8 weeks after an ich outbreak and now have them covering EVERY square inch of rock. After reintroduction of the 2 damsel fish that survived the ich I now only see them after the lights go out, however, they are again on everything except the corals.

The larger ones can be easily seen here

 

[serpentman]

Grammarus are scavengers. My guess is they are also feeding on the cyano. I wouldn't be concerned. Once you reintroduce fish as suitable competitors for food, their populations will equilibrate with available food sources.

 

[crsswift70]

My fish eat them if they aren't careful. I would guess the population exploded because you removed the fish. I wish i had more great things to have in the tank in my opinion. What are the shiny clear things on the rock? Almost look like little squid?

 

[Poriferan]

Those are hitchhiker snails. I believe they are called stomatella. They are also breeding like mad and eat the algae well.

 

[stanlalee]

You cant have too many as their population is indicative of their food source. They can only do good at this point but as you get the algae down and the tank matures their population will go way down. Mine use to come out and spawn when I target fed oyster feast (funny actually) and I use to see them every night now two years into the tank I never see ANY.