How to Feed Amphipods

Amphipods, which are small crustaceans, are an important component to the success of an aquarium reef. They provide a natural food to the fish, who can follow their hunting instincts while feeding on them. These small organisms survive in the tank by feeding off algae. To keep your amphipod population flourishing, you'll need to supplement their diet by adding phytoplankton algae. First, you must cultivate this microscopic algae, which you can then add into the aquarium to feed the amphipods.

Things You'll Need

  • 2-liter plastic bottle
  • Dechlorinated salt water
  • Liquid houseold plant food
  • Trace mineral supplement
  • Live culture of phytoplankton
  • Rigid tubing
  • Air pump
  • Light
  • Sealing container
  • Refrigerator
  • Measuring cup
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill a 2-liter plastic bottle with dechlorinated salt water. This water must have a specific gravity of 1.019. To create the salinity in the water, add marine salt according to the manufacturer's directions.

    • 2

      Add 5 ml of a liquid household plant food into the bottle of salt water. Dose 1 ml of a trace mineral supplement into the bottle. This mixture can be purchased from aquarium stores and will provide the needed macro- and micronutrients for the phytoplankton.

    • 3

      Place a live culture of phytoplankton into the bottle. This small colony of algae can be purchased from a fish store or online retailer.

    • 4

      Connect a section of rigid tubing to an air pump. Place the other end of the tubing into the bottle so that it reaches the bottom. Adjust the air pump so that the bottle's water gently bubbles.

    • 5

      Provide light to the bottle of phytoplankton for 16 hours each day. For the other eight hours, place the bottle in complete darkness, such as in a closet. This light schedule, paired with the nutrients already applied in the water, will help your amphipods' food grow.

    • 6

      Split the bottle of phytoplankton culture in half after seven days. Place half in a separate container where you will store the algae for food, such as a sealing plastic container. The other half of the mixture will be your phytoplankton starting culture, which you can use to repeat the above steps and grow more phytoplankton.

    • 7

      Store the phytoplankton food in a refrigerator. Agitate the container by gently shaking it once a day to ensure the algae doesn't settle at the bottom.

    • 8

      Add in the aquarium one quarter-cup of the phytoplankton mixture per every 10 gallons of water in the tank. This will provide food to your amphipods. Continue feeding the crustaceans the same amount of algae every other day.