Aptasia Control ?

madimod · 01/17/2008, 04:05 PM

Im having a aptasia outbreak ,what causes it and how do I keep it under control ? tried using kalk mixture and joes juice only works temporarily . do peppermint shrimp really work ?

tmz · 01/17/2008, 04:14 PM

Nutrients feed them. They mulitiply quickly.
Yes, pepermint shrimp do work(Lysmata wurdemani). Usually the shrimp available for sale are small but grow quickly. Sometimes they don't get the larger aiptasia. They will be an invaluable help in getting the aiptasia under control combined with going after the ones you can get at with Joe's Juice or homemade kalk paste. Don't expect top watch the shrimp eat an aiptasia,although you might get a glimpse. they work at night.

madimod · 01/17/2008, 04:49 PM

thanks. but do i need a better skimmer for nutrient ? I have a css 65 on my 29 gl with a 10gl sump .

tmz · 01/17/2008, 05:00 PM

Sorry not familiar with your skimmer. I use an asm and think it's a good skimmer. Once aiptasia are in they can thrive even in low nutrient. They are opportunistic. Obviously more nutrient equals more babies bvut lowering nutrients is not likely to erradicate them.

theclearblue · 01/17/2008, 05:26 PM

Peppermint shrimp to take out the small ones along with kalk paste to take out the large ones helped me knock out aptasia.

willper · 01/17/2008, 06:17 PM

I purchased two Peppermint Shrimp and within two days my aiptasia were gone. TMZ was right, you will not see them as they mostly come out at night. Once you start feeding your fish you will see the shrimp as they will welcome free food.

SteveNMegz · 01/17/2008, 07:40 PM

we just picked one up for this reason, haven't noticed any less astapia though

its only been a week though

mouscacha · 01/17/2008, 07:43 PM

joe's juice worked for me!

george81 · 01/17/2008, 09:10 PM

get beghia nudibranches...www.coralscaping.com to learn more about them...or order them
they are an aptasia predator and reef safe.

hyrumbradshaw · 01/17/2008, 09:42 PM

i got two peps a few days ago and no less apistasia...

JUNI0R · 01/17/2008, 10:08 PM

I got 1 peppermint shrimp and it did nothing for a month, so i got 2 more and within a week I am apistasia free. Maybe the first one wasn't really a peppermint. And I think your skimmer is fine for a regularly loaded tank, I have the same tank, sump and skimmer as you and mine is doing good.

tmz · 01/17/2008, 10:48 PM

the peppermint shrimp usually seem to do better in pairs or trios.

MTB · 01/17/2008, 11:31 PM

I got four peppermint shrimp three weeks a go. I had over five dozen aiptasia and now am down to maybe a dozen large ones.

madimod · 01/18/2008, 10:17 AM

thanks ! sounds good gonna give the shrimp a try .

01/17/2008, 04:05 PM	#1
madimod Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Newark,CA Posts: 273	Aptasia Control ? Im having a aptasia outbreak ,what causes it and how do I keep it under control ? tried using kalk mixture and joes juice only works temporarily . do peppermint shrimp really work ?

01/17/2008, 04:14 PM	#2
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Nutrients feed them. They mulitiply quickly. Yes, pepermint shrimp do work(Lysmata wurdemani). Usually the shrimp available for sale are small but grow quickly. Sometimes they don't get the larger aiptasia. They will be an invaluable help in getting the aiptasia under control combined with going after the ones you can get at with Joe's Juice or homemade kalk paste. Don't expect top watch the shrimp eat an aiptasia,although you might get a glimpse. they work at night. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

01/17/2008, 05:00 PM	#4
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Sorry not familiar with your skimmer. I use an asm and think it's a good skimmer. Once aiptasia are in they can thrive even in low nutrient. They are opportunistic. Obviously more nutrient equals more babies bvut lowering nutrients is not likely to erradicate them. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

01/17/2008, 07:40 PM	#7
SteveNMegz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Port Colborne Posts: 1,140	we just picked one up for this reason, haven't noticed any less astapia though its only been a week though __________________ Steve and Megz Current Tank Info: 55G Shallow Reef (30x30x14) - Equip: Ecotech Radion XR30 G3 Pro, 2 Tunze 6055, Vertex Omega 130 Skimmer, Ecotech Vectra M1 return, Vertex Rx1.5 Zeovit Reactor

01/17/2008, 10:48 PM	#12
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	the peppermint shrimp usually seem to do better in pairs or trios. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

01/17/2008, 04:49 PM	#3
madimod Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Newark,CA Posts: 273	thanks. but do i need a better skimmer for nutrient ? I have a css 65 on my 29 gl with a 10gl sump .

01/17/2008, 05:26 PM	#5
theclearblue Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 149	Peppermint shrimp to take out the small ones along with kalk paste to take out the large ones helped me knock out aptasia.

01/17/2008, 06:17 PM	#6
willper Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Auburn Posts: 67	I purchased two Peppermint Shrimp and within two days my aiptasia were gone. TMZ was right, you will not see them as they mostly come out at night. Once you start feeding your fish you will see the shrimp as they will welcome free food.

01/17/2008, 07:43 PM	#8
mouscacha Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 348	joe's juice worked for me!

01/17/2008, 09:10 PM	#9
george81 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: canada Posts: 254	get beghia nudibranches...www.coralscaping.com to learn more about them...or order them they are an aptasia predator and reef safe.

01/17/2008, 09:42 PM	#10
hyrumbradshaw Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 340	i got two peps a few days ago and no less apistasia...

01/17/2008, 10:08 PM	#11
JUNI0R Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Pasadena, CA Posts: 272	I got 1 peppermint shrimp and it did nothing for a month, so i got 2 more and within a week I am apistasia free. Maybe the first one wasn't really a peppermint. And I think your skimmer is fine for a regularly loaded tank, I have the same tank, sump and skimmer as you and mine is doing good.

01/17/2008, 11:31 PM	#13
MTB Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Illannoy Posts: 1,365	I got four peppermint shrimp three weeks a go. I had over five dozen aiptasia and now am down to maybe a dozen large ones. __________________ Got Frags? Current Tank Info: 40 breeder. Kessil lights. Reef octopus skimmer. Vortec mp40 x2.

01/18/2008, 10:17 AM	#14
madimod Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Newark,CA Posts: 273	thanks ! sounds good gonna give the shrimp a try .