Aptasia

[EmilyB]

I bought 10 peppermint shrimp. They haven't touched a single one...

[dont know jack]

thanx for all your suggestions, but I don't think you understand how much aptaisa has develpoed I'd need 100 pepermint shrimp and 40 copperbands or a 5 gallon bucket of joe's juice. I've used the juice with little success and for some reason I seem to have more now then before I started treatment.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Well, for starters lets address what is making them grow so fast, I'd say you are probably WAY over feeding, cut way back on the food. Copper is not the way to go unless you want to toss all your live rock and buy a new tank, the copper will stay in the silicone and leach out slowly so the tank will not be suitable for corals ever.
There are two shrimp commonly sold as peppermint, one is a true peppermint, the other isn't, don't remember which is which, I bought 4 peppermints from J&L and put two in my 60 and two in my 10 gallon tank, I only had a couple aptasia in each but the peppermint shrimp ate them all right away. If you decide to go with a copper band perhaps you should consider not feeding it, I've never tried a copper band so I don't know how likely it will eat them out of hunger.

Doug

[Johnny Reefer]

Originally Posted by BCOrchidGuy

....
There are two shrimp commonly sold as peppermint, one is a true peppermint, the other isn't, don't remember which is which, ....

Lysmata wurdemanni is the true one.
Lysmata californica is the imposter.

[PoonTang]

The trick with a copper band butterfly is not getting it to eat aptasia but feeding it when the aptasia is all gone. you can get them to eat food but it is difficult, Mysis seems to have the best success. You need lots of rock as they are rock pickers. They will also nibble at some LPS corals.

Originally Posted by BCOrchidGuy

Well, for starters lets address what is making them grow so fast, I'd say you are probably WAY over feeding, cut way back on the food. Copper is not the way to go unless you want to toss all your live rock and buy a new tank, the copper will stay in the silicone and leach out slowly so the tank will not be suitable for corals ever.
There are two shrimp commonly sold as peppermint, one is a true peppermint, the other isn't, don't remember which is which, I bought 4 peppermints from J&L and put two in my 60 and two in my 10 gallon tank, I only had a couple aptasia in each but the peppermint shrimp ate them all right away. If you decide to go with a copper band perhaps you should consider not feeding it, I've never tried a copper band so I don't know how likely it will eat them out of hunger.

Doug

[briansmyth]

http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31136

This previous thread has some pretty good opinions and ideas, I think.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

So, perhaps if your aiptasia invasion is so severe, you need to take really drastic measures. They ARE anemones, and require light, no? What about removing any corals from the rock structure and putting the rock in a dark bin with heater and circulation? Would't the aiptasia die off?

Seems pretty invasive/disruptive, but perhaps it would work? Anyone care to chime in?