Peppermint shrimp and aiptasia

[ichthyoid]

I have seen a lot of discussion about peppermint shrimp eliminating aiptasia. Fortunately I have not had a lot of aiptasia, and nuked it quickly when encountered. I recently acquired some green zooanthids for a multi-tank system I have been building. I soon discovered that I had a single aiptasia embedded right in the middle of the thickest part of the zoa's. I wondered how to remove it without cooking the zoa's?

I bought a peppermint shrimp on Friday, without really thinking about the aiptasia. I awoke this morning aiptasia free. I did not see the pep eat the aiptasia, but it's gone none the less. Yeaaaa! Great father's day present.

Results speak for themselves.

 

[jeffmuse]

I have also had a lot of luck with the Pep shrimp eating aptasia. I think that they are best used to stop an outbreak before it begins... if the aptasia are small, then the peppermint shrimp can mow through them.

One of my buddies had a full aptasia outbreak in his tank and he introduced some peppermint shrimp weeks after the problem was out of control. At that point, the aptasia where so large that the shrimp did not even go near them.

 

[coolsurf]

Pepermint shrimp will usally take care of the problem provided they are "true" peppermint shrimp. Yes, there are immitations out there. Keep in mind the aiptasia never really goes away, it just stays under control while the shrimp manage it and as long as you have them. To truly kill it, that's where the pickling lime, etc come into play. Just wanted to add my .02.