Amphipods

Each jar contains approximately 200 amphipods.

Amphipods are a fantastic addition to any saltwater tank. They serve many of the same roles as copepods, but are much larger and therefore can be eaten by larger fish and seahorses.

They also act as cleanup crew for your tank, eating detritus in hard-to-reach areas that your snails, urchins, and crabs can't reach. Amphipods can easily fit in the crevices of your rock, behind your corals, and in every nook and cranny. In fact, amphipods are benthic - meaning they live almost exclusively on surfaces. They spend nearly 24 hours a day crawling on your sand and rocks, eating all the stuff you don't want to be there.

Speaking of seahorses - amphipods are a favorite! They are large enough to easily see and hunt, and amphipods are highly nutritious. They are also eaten by other picky fish, like mandarins, pipefish, anthias, wrasses, and the like.

Finally, amphipods are a great boost to biodiversity. It's always a good idea to put as many species of helpful creatures in your tank as possible in order to consume resources that could otherwise be used by harmful pests. Amphipods fill this role beautifully, especially when combined with our other products.

Note on Shipping/Acclimation

Amphipods are shipped in jars containing a reef-safe nylon sponge. The amphipods are strongly "benthic," meaning the prefer a surface to cling to. They tend to burrow deep inside the sponge due to the stresses of shipping.

We suggest adding all the water in the jar, and placing the sponge in the sump or tank for a couple days. After a couple days, the amphipods will have migrated out of the sponge in search of food, and it can be removed if you'd like.

Please note that we intentionally fill the amphipod jars only about 1/3 of the way full with water. If part or all of the sponge is out of the water, it's perfectly fine.