Need Recommendations: Unwanted Aptaisa in sump/refuge

[naesco]

Originally Posted by fkshiu

I'm of the opposite view. You've got a bit of a ticking time bomb if you allow aiptasia to thrive in your sump. Since they constantly clone themselves and reproduce eventually some aiptasia will be sucked up your return pump and into your display.

Since they are in your sump, you've got more options to get rid of them there assuming you aren't keeping any corals down there. Pick up a couple of reef unsafe camel shrimp and they'll go to town on the aiptasia.

On the zeovit forums, I think, this was a technique someone stumbled onto to get rid of aiptasia: place aiptasia covered rock in sump with camel shrimp then remove the rock as soon as they were done eating the aiptasia but before they started to snack on any corals on the rock.

What happens to the couple of camel shrimp when they finish eating the aiptasia?
Also don't you mean peppermint shrimp? I know they eat aiptasia and you can put them in your main tank. I was not aware that camel shrimp eat aiptasia.

[intarsiabox]

If you want to get rid of them you could try sucking up a little kalk paste in some air line tubing that will reach far enough and then gently blow the paste onto the aiptasia and they will suck it in. Basically same idea as using a long syringe.

[Beccadawn]

Tagging along, I have the same problem..... but they've managed to get into the sump & the 2nd refugium/seahorse display tank on the same level. I have a feeling I helped with that though by moving rocks around, but none thus far in the main display tank. So far only little tiny ones all over the glass.

[globaldesigns]

Update:

K, I am not taking a chance and bought 6 peppermints from Kevin @ Red Coral... Thanks again Kevin!

Kevin brings in peppermints that do eat the unwanted critters, he will even show you before you buy... So hopefully these guys don't get sucked into pumps and can do their job.

Oh Yeah!!! One is about to have babies, so yippee!

[The Grizz]

Hey Rick, how much were the pep's at RC I need a few to get rid of some unwanted in my DT.

[othicx]

same here

[globaldesigns]

Well what a waste of money!!!!

Already found 2 peppermint shrimp in my skimmer intake pump. I can't see the other 4, maybe they are alive... But who knows!

No shrimp hovering around the aptaisa, so I think this isn't going to work. the fact I can't see them is maybe telling me they got sucked into my NP BioPellet Reactors (I have 3 of them).

That was a waste of money!!!!

[parkinsn]

Originally Posted by naesco

What happens to the couple of camel shrimp when they finish eating the aiptasia?
Also don't you mean peppermint shrimp? I know they eat aiptasia and you can put them in your main tank. I was not aware that camel shrimp eat aiptasia.

Last time I checked the diet of a peppermint shrimp wasn't solely aiptasia. So worrying about them not surviving long term is not an issue. If you are that concerned about them long term throw them up to the DT when they have done their job in the sump. Im with fkshiu, I would throw a few pep. shrimp in the sump and when they do what they need to do throw them in the DT or back to the LFS

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by parkinsn

Last time I checked the diet of a peppermint shrimp wasn't solely aiptasia. So worrying about them not surviving long term is not an issue. If you are that concerned about them long term throw them up to the DT when they have done their job in the sump. Im with fkshiu, I would throw a few pep. shrimp in the sump and when they do what they need to do throw them in the DT or back to the LFS

That is what I thought of doing, but with all the pumps I have going. 1 return, 3 reactors, 3 on the skimmer (ReCIRC), most likely they will get zapped by on of them. At $10-12 bucks a piece, it can get costly.

Hmmm, what to do? I have blown some Kalk paste on them, will see what this does. Then look at other solutions. I was going to leave them, but again, don't want them in the DT.

[parkinsn]

You could set up a egg crate baffle on the bubble trap, alternating the egg crate to create smaller holes that the shrimp cant make it through without restricting flow. Let the peppermints do what they have to do and deal with them later.

Also, Im not too sure they would get sucked into a pump they may have small brains but they are smarter than that. I have had various shrimp in the past go down my overflow into the sump. I fished them out months later when I cleaned the sump as I thought they were dead. (trigger and dotty back were not so nice to small shrimp) Its a gamble but I bought 15 peppermints from RC and got a good deal on them for buying quantity.