Cbb?

[sus]

Ok, my tank is now getting out of control with aptasia. anyone have a copperband butterfly for sale, or for borrow?

Let me know
thanks-
David

 

[phillipj2]

Hit reesafe up he has a hairy red legged hermit that he claims eats aptasia and he lives in arvada, hey its worth a shot.

 

[zombiereef]

i put two peppermint shrimp in my tank a year ago and i havent seen an aptaisia yet!

 

[sus]

i guess i could give a few peps a shot
anyone know where to get some locally? also, how many should I get for my 40 breeder?

 

[reefsafe]

Perhaps the best (cheapest, most readily available, easiest to track and remove...) Aiptasia nemesis are a few Hermit Crabs. In particular the more common "Red Legged ("Hairy") Hermit Crab, Clibanarius digueti is an almost-all-the-time reef-safe animal that also eats pest algae. One or two to a tank is all it takes.

 

[sus]

well, I haven't had the same luck with hermits. I had probably 8-10 red legged hermits in my last tank, and they didn't touch the aptasia. i guess its probably hit-or-miss like all the other aptasia "cures"

 

[zombiereef]

i would do 2 peps maximum. they will do better in a pair. alone, they dont do squat.

 

[phillipj2]

The one reefsafe is talking about is not a regular red leg hermit. Its a hairy red leg hermit its huge you cant mistaken it thats for sure. There are at least 3 different kinds of pepermint shrimps that look similar and only one kind eats aptasia so be careful.

 

[jonthefb]

I have had both the lysmata rathbunae and lysmata wurdemanni and have had both eat aiptasia, so the myth that only or the other will eat aiptasia is false. There is a camel shrimp (rhynchocinetes species) that is often mislabeled as a peppermint shrimp and will consume corals, but there is notable visual differences between the two.

 

[sus]

ah, thanks for the info Jon. any idea where to get a few?
thanks