I need some help trapping a few critters.

[7digits]

I have a couple of amphipods that have developed a taste for some zoas. They are slowly destroying the colony. Any ideas on how to trap them, or remove them?

[Ninong]

Amphipods? Can you describe them?

[7digits]

See through bug looking things. About 5mm in length maybe more. Tail curled under.

[7digits]

It looks like this.

[Ninong]

That looks like the typical beneficial amphipods that are quite common in all reef aquariums. I was just wondering if maybe you had something different. There are some really large amphipods.

I have no idea what to tell you because I have never heard of those amphipods eating zoanthids.

[Ninong]

I googled "amphipods eating zoanthids" and found this.

[7digits]

I saw a huge one tonight. It must have been 1 cm. I sucked one up with a turkey baster. I had another one, but I spazzed out and let it get away. Thinking of getting a Black Cap Basslet. Do you think it might take care of them?

[Ninong]

Black cap basslets are deep water fish from the Caribbean. They're similar to Royal Grammas except Royal Grammas live above them in the water column in the Caribbean.

I think a six-line wrasse might be better. It should eat them. Most wrasses will eat them but the six-line is a smaller species and suitable for most reef tanks. What size is your tank?

There is always the possibility that the amphipods will hide from the wrasse in the daytime and only come out at night to eat.

[7digits]

I have a 29 gallon tank. I considered a 6 line wrasse, but I have the top of my tank is open, and I'd be afraid that it would jump out which is why I thought maybe the basslet would be a better choice. I don't want a suicide on my hands. I could put a glass cover on it and have considered doing that, but I'd have to cut notches in it for my HOB Fuge. With the fuge, the tank holds about 5 extra gallons.

[7digits]

I caught a larger one last night with the turkey baster. I took a picture of this one. I still have one larger than this one roaming around. Here's the pic.

[7digits]

I read that a Black cap basslet would eat them. Do you think it would?

[Ninong]

I read that a Black cap basslet would eat them. Do you think it would?

Probably. Most fish will eat them, except maybe some herbivores. In fact, my foxface rabbitfish ate absolutely everything that hit the water whether it was salad or not.

My orchid dottyback and all of my fairy wrasses would eat them. As would my flame angel and royal beauty. Most fish will eat amphipods but the amphipods still multiply. They hide in the top layer of the sand bed or in rubble zones and come out at night. Copepods like to hide in holes in the live rock but amphipods usually occupy the surface area of the sand bed. I guess if you don't have a sand bed they have to hide someplace else.