Spreading Aiptasia

[dew2loud1]

Berghia are a very very good long term and permanent solution, when you are adding them to an infested tank you're not counting on the 8 adults to clear your tank. Those 8 adults will over a period of several months produce thousands of juveniles which will completely eliminate them from your system.
Berghia are nocturnal to avoid predation so you will not see them generally until they are out of aiptasia and begin wandering around looking for food.
I've seen them clear a tank with a few aiptasia in as little as a week infestations generally require several weeks to several months, but they will completely eradicate them.

 

[drtherc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14253304#post14253304 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by porschefan
I can vouch for the peppermint shrimp, had a issue with Aiptasia all over my 55Gal

Bought some Aiptasia-X which worked on the larger ones, but it was a never ending battle.

got a couple of Peppermint shrimp (both were less than half the cost of a bottle of Aiptasia-X)

Not seen the Aiptasia since, if its still there, then the shrimp are managing it nicely.

Same here. 3 peppermint shrimp, and in two weeks, no aptasia, and I had a lot. I saw one this morning on a pump, don't know if the shrimp will get it, but on the other hand, maybe that one will multiply and give my peps a treat now and then.

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

peppermints and camel shrimp nothing alike except in color, camel shrimp have extremely large dark colored eyes, and where a peppermint is mostly transluscent camels are white bands.

peppermints also look pin striped where camels have a much more complex pattern

 

[FishTruck]

I had a major outbreak in my 300. I did this.

I added 20 Berghia.

Nothing happend for two months. Just a few aiptasia disappeared where I put in the Berghia.

Frustrated, I then made Kalk paste and used a 10 cc syringe and a 30 inch piece of rigid aquarium tubing. I went on aiptasia rampage attack and repeated a week later. Each time I used about 60 cc of Kalk paste and wiped out hundreds of them. This greatly reduced what I could see.

Finally, I tossed in a CBB.

Now... the tank is 100% free of aiptasia, and I even saw a berghia the other day on the back glass.

If I had to do it again, I would start with the Kalk attack. Next, add a CBB. Only do the Berghia if the CBB does not work out.

Peps eat Berghia, so you have to choose one or the other.

 

[DIONE@AQUATICA]

I had the same problem with peppermint shrimp not eating aiptasia. After reading a bit about them the problem is that there are 2 types of peppermint shrimp, one is lighter in color than the other. Make sure you get the correct one.

 

[wet reefer]

Iv'e used peppermint shrimp many times and each time they did their job. I agree that some of those saying that they didn't touch them actually have camel shrimp and not peppermint shrimp. Iv'e seem camels in stores sold as peppermints a few times and visa-versa. Could also be that they are getting plenty of food from other sources. Keep in mind they will not eat large Aiptasia. I don't see the need to boil tools either. Fresh water kills them within a couple of minutes.

 

[dilbert_uk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14342855#post14342855 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by craab

For those with berghia, how long before you saw results?

In my 15G nano, it took about half a year, now. In the meantime, they only cleared the small spot where I introduced them.