aiptasia control and disappearing shrimp

[paats]

I recently added four peppermint shrimp to my 125gl to try to get a handle on these pests.I bought a guys entire setup and he wasn`t too worried about them but now that the tank is getting better care they are starting to multiply and I want to move on them before it gets worse.I added the shrimp maybe five weeks ago and haven`t seen hide nor hair from the peppermints since.Seems like I should at least have glimpsed one of them by now, but nothing.There has been no noticeable change to the glass anemones either.I have a large coral banded in the tank and was wondering if he might have had those peppermints over for dinner.
I don`t have anything else in the tank that would attack them but I have read that the coral banded shrimp can be aggressive to small shrimp.True?

 

[Anonymous]

Peppermints can be very secretive, especially smaller ones. The only way I can tell if they are present is that the aiptasia don't spread. Even when they are active, IME the peppermints always leave a couple aiptasia alone, not sure why.

I'm not sure about coral banded shrimp eating them, but the small peppermints could be vulnerable to a number of things.

 

[liquid]

I had 6 peppermint shrimp in my 38 gal tank and I rarely if ever saw them. They're very secretive and normally I would only see them at night when I checked out the tank with a flashlight with a red filter over the end.

Shane

 

[ChrisRD]

As Brian mentioned, they can be very secretive, especially when small. Try to spot them at night when your lights are out - they're probably venturing out then.

It's also possible that they didn't all make it. I've had peppermints disappear mysteriously on two occasions. If the shrimp are alive and well, you'll eventually see the aptasia population dwindle. It can take a while though.

Sorry - don't have any experience with coral banded shrimp, so I can't offer anything there...

HTH

 

[ChrisRD]

Oops - Shane beat me to it...LOL

 

[liquid]

 

[Osama]

I bought 15 for my 180g last night I do not see a single one in that tank. I think some fish had an expensive dinner I hope theyare hiding. Put three in a smaller tanks 65g and I can see all three. Mostly because of where they are hiding. Other than peppermint shrink & injecting with kalk. Have anyone had better luck with Copperband butterfly or other means to get rid of those aptasia.

 

[Reefer_man]

I've been injecting them with lemon juice. It has been rather effective. I started with 3 peppermint shrimp. I can only find one now, but i did find two exoskeletons from them molting, so they could just be in a rock hiding somewhere waiting for their shell to get hard again. BUt the lemon juice is cheap and effective. Good luck

 

[Anonymous]

If you have a coral banded shrimp in there with pepermints, that is not a good combo, though your tank size is on the boderline of being large enough to accomodate the two species. CBS's are very territorial, aggressive toward other shrimp, and will follow them to attack them.
To get rid of aiptasia, I have heard many peopl use Joe's juice. Supposed to work great and be totally reef safe. I have no personal experience with it, but have never heard bad things about it.

 

[WRASSER]

copperbanded butterfly fish also eat aiptasia :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

If you have a coral banded shrimp in there with pepermints, that is not a good combo, though your tank size is on the boderline of being large enough to accomodate the two species. CBS's are very territorial, aggressive toward other shrimp, and will follow them to attack them.
To get rid of aiptasia, I have heard many peopl use Joe's juice. Supposed to work great and be totally reef safe. I have no personal experience with it, but have never heard bad things about it.

Very true about the CBS's. I'd ditch them too...not reef safe either.

~wings~