Aptasia - Are peppermints really effective?

Spiffyguy

Spiffyguy

New member
Ok I have been fighting some Aptasia that came in on a rock I got from a lady tearing down her tank. I took a chance on putting the rock in cuz the bicolored blenny I wanted was in the rock. Well I got aptasia now. I have tried Joes' Juice and while it may kill some that I can reach they usually just come back. I was going to isolate the rock once the blenny took shelter elsewhere but it has spread to other rocks in the tank. I know at some point I can go with a Nudi but I am not at the point where I think the Nudi would live long enough.

I have gotten Peppermint shrimp in the past for the rest of the rock that was in my 10 gallon and they wiped it out. I had a single peppermint in my 24 but he did not touch the stuff. I got 3 more from MS and tossed them in. They did not eat much of it and they all died off within a month or so. Rather irritated by that.

I saw that gateway has buy 3 get one so I was thinking of trekking down there. Before I do though I want some opinions. How effective do people find peppermints at wiping out aptasia? I will buy 8 if I need to but I want this stuff gone. I don't think the last batch of shrimp starved since I sorta over feed the tank. I have heard they can be aggressive to each during spawning, and my shrimp usually start dropping eggs a week after they hit the tank. Even captured some larve on video. So is it worth dumping the 20 bucks on the shrimp or let it get worse and just send in the Nudi to finish it off?
 
There are two types of shrimp sold as Peppermints. Gateway has the correct Peppermints for eating Aptasia.
 
Note the shrimp usually only go after the smaller Aptasia, if you have bigger ones in the tank hit them with Vinegar Works 10x better than Joes Juice or Kalk IMO
 
I had thought that it was possible I got the other kind, camels I think. Seemed odd that first batch of shrimp I got gobbled it up in the 10 gallon. I had 3 of them. I transfered 2 over to the 24 gallon and they survived and bred for about 3 months. One died and the other ran solo for a few weeks. I got the 2nd batch of 3 and that sorta ended all of them. I know one just did not make it. was dead the next morning. It was very small though. The older one and other 2 new ones lasted a few weeks but slowly disappeared.
 
I bought 8 a few weeks ago and they haven't touched it. I am back to boiling vinegar which seems to wipe them out pretty good and like you I have some that are nearly impossible to get at w/o removing a lot of rock.
 
Inject them.. You can get the Needles at Wal-mart behind the Pharmacy counter for like .10-.15 a piece.
 
I do both, I inject them and then blast the rest of them with it. A Salifert dropper works great for this.
 
ok may have to try that. I like the shrimp so I might try that if people think they are effective. just hate to waste the cash if they are not gonna do it. But short of removing the rock there is some I jsut can't get.
 
If this is in the 24 nano you may have an issue with ph dropping, I have the luxury of a lot of water and a calcium reactor that keeps my ph up and the vinegar has no effect on my ph, you will have ph issues with that small of a water volume.
 
I had them pretty bad from some rock I got from someplace or other. It was only in my sump so I wasn't too concernced. Then they suddenly started popping up in the display tank. After they got pretty large, I injected them with a kalk/salt mixture. Then I got 3 shrimp from GWA and they cleared the small ones out after about a month. I haven't seen any more since then and the shrimp are still alive and kicking (be sure to add iodine).
 
I think I will try the srhimp one more time. I like to naturally fix the problem. I can nuke the big ones with vinegar I guess. You said you boil it first?
 
I have never boiled mine and have had great results..

Side note... Go with a 75gallon over a 55.. You will like the extra depth, make it a lot easier to aquascape, and you really don't need that much more equipment for the extra 20gal's.. JMO
 
Lonnie, do you just ask the pharmacist at walmart for some needles?

you can just buy needles?

sounds like a drug addicts paradise
 
In Granite City you can find needles at any park in town. lol :D

I just use an old Salifert needle dropper from an alk test kit, works great.
 
Yes Wal-mart Pharmacist will give them out. You have to sign something and can only take so many per month. You also have to give the reason you are taking them.. I put for my fish tank :lol:
 
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