Peppermint shrimp/aiptasia

keckles · #1 07/07/2004, 05:30 PM

I know there are many many threads about this but the search function has been unavailable to me for a couple of hours now so i decided to just ask ( yes i will be paying the $25 soon and becoming a premium member)

I have been battling aiptasia for a couple months now. I have been using joes juice, which seems to eliminate the aiptasia for only a short period of time, the aiptasia are always back within a couple weeks, i have 3 small aiptasia and 1 large aiptasia that i can see at the moment, the large ones base is between nickel and quarter size, I just need to know what peoples opinions are about using peppermint shrimps to eliminate aiptasia, if my large aiptasia is too big for a peppermint to eat, or any other effective ways that have been used against aiptasia, any help is very appreciated and TIA

reefmarker · #2 07/07/2004, 05:51 PM

Everytime I've used a peppermint it has wiped out the aptasia within one day. The largest I've ever had was about the size of a quarter. I actually put a rock with a capnella and some aptasia into one tank and the peppermint came out of hiding to get the aptasia!

They are great. I have a few in every tank. You won't ever see them, but they are there.

keckles · #3 07/07/2004, 05:52 PM

any bad experiences with them? i will most likely be purchasing one within the next few days

Dlckwood · #4 07/07/2004, 05:57 PM

Mine worked great but I do have one complaint about them; They are little thiefs of my anemones.
DLCKWOOD

keckles · #5 07/07/2004, 06:00 PM

Yes, i have heard that they will steal food from anemones, but since i do not have any anemones i don't have to worry about that, hopefully that is the only bad thing about them, if it is i will probably buy one tomorrow, thanks for your advice reefmarker and Dlckwood, any more opinions?

reefmarker · #6 07/07/2004, 06:04 PM

No problems with mine.

crrichey · #7 07/07/2004, 06:43 PM

Just got 3 today. So far they have not done anything, so I will keep you posted over the next few days.

Dlckwood · #8 07/07/2004, 06:53 PM

Mine seemed to eat them at night because they were gone in the morning.
DLCKWOOD

dvb · #9 07/07/2004, 07:11 PM

I had one a while ago and it didn't do anything to the little mojano anemones. Joe's Juice has worked well for me!

keckles · #10 07/07/2004, 07:57 PM

Thanks everyone for all of your input, FLCL787, let me know how everything goes with your shrimp, i just bought mine tonight so i will keep posting about any problems or updates with the aiptasia elimination, dvb, one reason why they may not have done anything about your majanos is because they are said to eat aiptasia, not majanos, just my .02, and how long have you been using your joes juice, for me and several others on RC it seems to only be a temporary fix, keep us posted about how it works for you, once again thanks for the help

jared

keckles · #11 07/07/2004, 11:22 PM

I left the bag floating in my tank to acclimate the shrimp, while it was acclimating i left the room to go eat, when i came back the shrimp was not in the bag, and i have heard that once you put a peppermint in your tank you will never see it again, i guess i am in some deep doo doo on this one, should i buy a new shrimp or just hope that all is well?

crrichey · #12 07/07/2004, 11:26 PM

It wouldn't hurt to buy another one if you don't mind spending the money. They are pretty well behaved toward one another.

keckles · #13 07/07/2004, 11:36 PM

they are $11.99, i do not know how that compares to other areas of the country but where i live prices are usually much higher than what people on RC talk about, so $11.99 is not a bad price, i will most likely buy another one tomorrow and i will be sure to not take my eyes off of it while it acclimates this time

crrichey · #14 07/07/2004, 11:47 PM

Wow, that is pretty high compared to what I paid, $6.99 for mine.

keckles · #15 07/07/2004, 11:56 PM

i know, some times it is really frustrating to find out that what i pay for a shrimp or frag, people pay for a fish or full grown coral, i guess thats the price you pay for living in oklahoma

hun9731 · #16 07/27/2004, 07:18 PM

I just got 2 peppermint shrimp an hour or so ago...I am floating the bag right now. After that, is there anything else I need to do to acclimate them or should they be good to go. Just some direction please....I'm still new to this business.....Thanks!!

wasp9166 · #17 07/27/2004, 07:22 PM

you need to acclimate em same as fish,a cup of tank water every 10 minutes till water in bag is doubled, dump half out , then repeat, make sure water your taking them from and the tank is same sg................

Mr.Jingles · #18 07/27/2004, 07:43 PM

I bought 3 a while ago and they wiped out my aptasia problem...no size was too big. I lost all three to turbulent water conditions over a year of waiting for the tank to establish...don't worry, nothing was in it.
Recently, I bought some live rock pieces with a few aptasia, unkowingly, and bought one peppy to take care of it. and he did. in a day. hes pretty frickin fresh when it comes to eating those suckers.

no complaints here when it comes to them eating aptasia.

Devious Rhesus · #19 07/27/2004, 08:02 PM

I have a 29 gallon with 4 aiptasia which have been very resilient when it comes to Joe's Juice and boiling water injections. I would get a peppermint, but problem is i'd rather have a skunk cleaner. What are the odds that they'd kill each-other?

wasp9166 · #20 07/27/2004, 08:36 PM

i think both in the same tank is fine

reefingagain · #21 07/27/2004, 08:55 PM

peppermint shrimps are hit and miss so just have to buy a few
Joe's juice worked for a few weeks and they usually return

lclau · #22 07/27/2004, 08:56 PM

I had a problem with my peppermint nibbling at my ricordea. it was really a PITA because I fed the tank plenty, he just never came out of hiding to eat, so he ate my florida ricordea at night instead.

reefingagain · #23 07/27/2004, 09:01 PM

lclau - just curious as to whether he ate any apts

lclau · #24 07/27/2004, 09:05 PM

yes he did. Sometimes it takes him a while to get to the aiptasia because the cleaner shrimp is pretty territorial and will chase him away every time. Eventually the aiptasia disappears however.

hun9731 · #25 07/27/2004, 09:34 PM

DOES ANYONE have a pic of an aiptasia? Sorry...didn't mean to yell...:-)