Aiptasia Eating Peppermint Shrimp

[Buzz1329]

I thought that peppermint shrimp (PS) eat aiptasia while camel shrimp (easily distinguishable from PS) do not.

And I've used PS to get rid of aiptasia at least a half dozen times in past.

But someone just told that there are actually 2 types of PS (as opposed to camel shrimp) and that one eats aiptasias while the other don't.

Is this true? If so, can anyone point me to a source for the aiptasia eating variety?

I know bergia nudis work, but they are so darn expensive.

My dream would be to add a Copperband Butterfly (my absolutely favorite fish) to 180 to clear out aiptasias, but i have not had consistent success keeping this fish alive (1 for 5 over past 30 years). So I feel I can't in good conscience try this again. But maybe I can get LFS to keep it until I am confident that it is eating, and try it again? Spoken like a truly addictive personality.

Anyways, if there are 2 types of PS, can anyone point me to source of the aiptasia eating variety or alternatively can someone please convince me to give a Copperband another try? :debi:

Thanks,

Mike

 

[mcgyvr]

I can't comment on the pep shrimp types.. (use whatever the store had and they all have eaten aiptasia.) I'd bet its just because some people claim they don't touch them while other users claim they eat them up.. I've found if they have little other food they will go right after the aiptasia..

How about a "matted filefish"?.. They certainly go after them..

 

[Tanthaitrung]

I don't think fishes (Filefish, Cooperband...) can eradicate aiptasia. It can hide in the rock, fish mouth can't pick it.

I have a Cooperband, he worked very well. After few weeks, I could not see any aiptasia. Because of itch, my Cooperband is now in quarantine tank. Now my display tank has a ton of aiptasias.

I don't know about PS. But I will try

 

[Buzz1329]

I can't comment on the pep shrimp types.. (use whatever the store had and they all have eaten aiptasia.) I'd bet its just because some people claim they don't touch them while other users claim they eat them up.. I've found if they have little other food they will go right after the aiptasia..

How about a "matted filefish"?.. They certainly go after them..

Thanks,

I've bought PS from multiple sources and they all ate aiptasia so seems like way to go.

Would love to try matted filefish, but I've read too many posts about them going rogue after polishing off aiptasias.

Mike

 

[Buzz1329]

I don't think fishes (Filefish, Cooperband...) can eradicate aiptasia. It can hide in the rock, fish mouth can't pick it.

I have a Cooperband, he worked very well. After few weeks, I could not see any aiptasia. Because of itch, my Cooperband is now in quarantine tank. Now my display tank has a ton of aiptasias.

I don't know about PS. But I will try

Thanks Tanthaitrung,

So your Copperband developed ich after polishing off aiptasias, but you removed him to QT after he came down with ich, and aiptasias have come back in DT?

Mike

 

[LinkinReef]

This picture is my to-go when it comes to telling them apart. The one on the far right is the one you want to get for aptasia.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Tanthaitrung]

Thanks Tanthaitrung,

So your Copperband developed ich after polishing off aiptasias, but you removed him to QT after he came down with ich, and aiptasias have come back in DT?

Mike

Yes, they are coming back in DT, after 2 weeks the Copperband was moved to QT (since then I put nothing in DT). Exactly, they are extending from the rocks, where fish mouth can not pick.

At first, I was very happy that he started to eat frozen food and cleaned all the aiptasias. Then I added a Moorish Idol (at that time, I had no QT), this guy brought itch and also killed my Yellow Tang, but my Copperband was ok.

Later, I decided to set up a QT, moved all fishes to treated in QT. Now my DT is fallow (invertebrates and corals only) and full of aiptasias.

My friend told me about this problem when his Copperband died. I did not believe it until my Copperband was moved to QT.

My Copperband will be back but battle is not ended. I'm trying to find some PS

 

[Tanthaitrung]

This picture is my to-go when it comes to telling them apart. The one on the far right is the one you want to get for aptasia.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks so much LinkinReef :thumbsup:

I'm finding some

 

[IAShane]

They did the trick for my tank long ago. I had hundreds and hundreds of the darned things. I got 5 shrimp and in under 3 weeks not a one was left.

No joke. It was amazing.

 

[jah hoeva]

This picture is my to-go when it comes to telling them apart. The one on the far right is the one you want to get for aptasia.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm going to compare my shrimp to this chart. I have 3 aptasia and he has not touched a single one. :angryfire:

 

[Buzz1329]

Yes, they are coming back in DT, after 2 weeks the Copperband was moved to QT (since then I put nothing in DT). Exactly, they are extending from the rocks, where fish mouth can not pick.

At first, I was very happy that he started to eat frozen food and cleaned all the aiptasias. Then I added a Moorish Idol (at that time, I had no QT), this guy brought itch and also killed my Yellow Tang, but my Copperband was ok.

Later, I decided to set up a QT, moved all fishes to treated in QT. Now my DT is fallow (invertebrates and corals only) and full of aiptasias.

My friend told me about this problem when his Copperband died. I did not believe it until my Copperband was moved to QT.

My Copperband will be back but battle is not ended. I'm trying to find some PS

Hang in there and good luck with Copperband. What is it eating?

Mike

 

[Buzz1329]

I'm going to compare my shrimp to this chart. I have 3 aptasia and he has not touched a single one. :angryfire:

Very helpful. Thanks!

Mike

 

[Joe0813]

This picture is my to-go when it comes to telling them apart. The one on the far right is the one you want to get for aptasia.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have 4 on the far left and all of them ate them... maybe I was lucky

 

[Tanthaitrung]

Hang in there and good luck with Copperband. What is it eating?

Mike

Thanks Mike

He doesn't eat dry food like pellet or flake, just fresh food like frozen artemia and shrimp. He is not as fast as other fishes when picking food. So I usually turn off all pumps for a while when feeding him.

I think, you can feed him other frozen food, but I'm here in Vietnam, there are no choices

 

[A sea K]

KP Aquatics out of Florida has the type of peppermint shrimp you want.

 

[Sethjamto]

My 300 was starting to get out of control with Aiptasia....got 4 PS from the LFS and within a couple of weeks I cannot find a single Aiptasia anywhere now!

 

[Buzz1329]

KP Aquatics out of Florida has the type of peppermint shrimp you want.

Thanks. I'll check them out.

Mike