Pictures . . can you help with identification

[news.verizon.net]

Hello everyone. I have been busy with teaching, so I haven't been able to
check in for awhile. Of course I've got a problem, that's what brought me
back to seek help from you guys and ladies. My 55 gallon tank is doing
well, with the exception of my brown button polyps. I noticed the ends of
the polyps starting to turn white and shrink. I began to worry when more
than one polyp started to lose its "button". I thought it was my water, but
all test appeared fine. I checked on my tank at night this weekend and
that's when I saw them! The little *******s anyhow. . . sorry getting off
track here. What I viewed, to me, looked like small shrimp about 10 to 15
mm long. They seemed to be eating the polyps. Have any of you heard of
this before? I have some pictures ( I hope they are not to large) on my
website. Please take a look and let me know if you can id them. Thanks for
your help.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6nou9/
Brian

[Marc Levenson]

Brian, those look like amphipods, and they are part of your cleanup infauna that
you want. They scurry about all night while the lights are out, or all the time
if you have a refugium with the lights on 24 hours a day like I do.

They aren't your problem.

Marc


"news.verizon.net" wrote:

> Hello everyone. I have been busy with teaching, so I haven't been able to
> check in for awhile. Of course I've got a problem, that's what brought me
> back to seek help from you guys and ladies. My 55 gallon tank is doing
> well, with the exception of my brown button polyps. I noticed the ends of
> the polyps starting to turn white and shrink. I began to worry when more
> than one polyp started to lose its "button". I thought it was my water, but
> all test appeared fine. I checked on my tank at night this weekend and
> that's when I saw them! The little *******s anyhow. . . sorry getting off
> track here. What I viewed, to me, looked like small shrimp about 10 to 15
> mm long. They seemed to be eating the polyps. Have any of you heard of
> this before? I have some pictures ( I hope they are not to large) on my
> website. Please take a look and let me know if you can id them. Thanks for
> your help.
>
> http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6nou9/
> Brian

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