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Transferring amphipods from Refugium

Klatzy

Klatzy

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I have a robust population of amphipods in the refugium (HOB hanging on the back of an all-in-one 24 gallon). What are people's preferred method for transferring them to the display?

Unfortunately, the HOB-refugium is just a converted/modded filter that outputs into the back compartment; the display section has a lid (I've had too many jumpers in my short hobby experience). The amphipods I see are crawling on the walls, I'm assuming they won't easily pass unto the back section, thru the return pump, and into the display.
I've been shaking out the chaeto that's in the refugium in the display. Are there better methods?
  • Stick some filter floss in the refugium that gets shuttled to the main tank every once in a while?
  • I've also tried pipetting but those amphipods aren't easily sucked up.
  • Don't worry about it?
One concern I have is that seeding the refugium with copepods would just feed the amphipods mostly. So that's one impetus for figuring out a way to transfer the amphipods.
 
I bought one of these and stuck it in my frag tank where pods multiplied like crazy without any predators and a good supply of reef roids. Every now and them, i'd move the pod hotel into a separate bucket filled with water, shake it around, and blast the openings with water using a turkey baster and I'd get a ton of them coming out. From there just transfer to your main tank.

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Klatzy said:
I have a robust population of amphipods in the refugium (HOB hanging on the back of an all-in-one 24 gallon). What are people's preferred method for transferring them to the display?

Unfortunately, the HOB-refugium is just a converted/modded filter that outputs into the back compartment; the display section has a lid (I've had too many jumpers in my short hobby experience). The amphipods I see are crawling on the walls, I'm assuming they won't easily pass unto the back section, thru the return pump, and into the display.
I've been shaking out the chaeto that's in the refugium in the display. Are there better methods?
  • Stick some filter floss in the refugium that gets shuttled to the main tank every once in a while?
  • I've also tried pipetting but those amphipods aren't easily sucked up.
  • Don't worry about it?
One concern I have is that seeding the refugium with copepods would just feed the amphipods mostly. So that's one impetus for figuring out a way to transfer the amphipods.
Click to expand...
How can you be sure what the pods you have are?
If you don’t like them For whatever reason, clean out the refugium, and then stock with the pods you want?
Seems like overthinking it to me to be honest
 
I seed the tank and refugium with Tisbe pods (really small, little white specs on the glass when fully grown, the juveniles are microscopic). The amphipods are noticeably larger (you can make out legs for example). Cleaning out the refugium doesn't seem a great choice because the amphipods will just repopulate from the display tank. I would just like a way to preferentially transfer the amphipods since it takes effort and/or money to create a copepod culture or purchase seed populations.
 
Klatzy said:
I seed the tank and refugium with Tisbe pods (really small, little white specs on the glass when fully grown, the juveniles are microscopic). The amphipods are noticeably larger (you can make out legs for example). Cleaning out the refugium doesn't seem a great choice because the amphipods will just repopulate from the display tank. I would just like a way to preferentially transfer the amphipods since it takes effort and/or money to create a copepod culture or purchase seed populations.
Click to expand...
Could use like marine pure bricks or live rock rubble then just rotate them into the display every week or so.
 
Klatzy said:
I seed the tank and refugium with Tisbe pods (really small, little white specs on the glass when fully grown, the juveniles are microscopic). The amphipods are noticeably larger (you can make out legs for example). Cleaning out the refugium doesn't seem a great choice because the amphipods will just repopulate from the display tank. I would just like a way to preferentially transfer the amphipods since it takes effort and/or money to create a copepod culture or purchase seed populations.
Click to expand...
There are many different copepods and they range in size. Might by amphipods, might be copepods. Seems like you’re always gonna have them in your system so not sure what you’re hoping to accomplish really.
Maybe I just don’t get it
 
TBH i think you might trying to hard, pods will natually gets sucked up by return pump from time to time unless you buy new pods and dump them directly into display.
 
If I had significantly larger tank I wouldn't worry as much. But I worry because 24 gallons is lower than 30-50 gallon recommended tank size for a Mandarin. And now that's it's freezing outside I've stopped culturing pods, since the bucket has to live in the garage. The Mandarin I have is captive-fed and does seem to feed on pellets; I shouldn't worry but I can't help it.
 
You shouldn’t worry about the various pods. They will compete for habitat and go back and forth between display and refugium, you can’t control it at all, whether you want to or not. If you want to make yourself feel better or for entertainment value you can continue shaking out the chaeto in the display and watch them run for their lives.

With a small tank, the only reliable solution for keeping the mandarin is to get it eating fish food, as you mentioned. If you got him tank-raised he should already be eating some kind of fish food and you could ask the vendor what kind they feed if you want. In a larger tank you don’t have to worry about feeding them as long as you don’t have too many pod-eating fish.
 
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