Aiptasia, how to prevent rapid growth

[something'sfishy]

hi guys...
What's the best thing to do to prevent rapid growth of those pesky aiptasias? Water quality? avoiding too much of coral suplements?
please help...

 

[bhav_88]

Peppermint shrimp

 

[joetst2]

Definately peppermint shrimp. Make sure you get the true peppermint shrimp. I've heard of some LFS selling the wrong ones and calling them peppermint. They are very light reddish color, really a transleusent (sp?) clearish red.
I had a few apastasia appear on one piece of LR and put two p. shrimp in there and they whacked them all in a few days.

 

[y2says]

What is aiptasia?

 

[tomato clown]

Personally I am going to go with either a racoon butterfly or a banded butterfly, I have read and heard they will eat them as well.
Y2SAYS,
Aiptasia looks like this pic here....basically brownish in color. These anemones pack a powerful sting that can harm all those expensive corals you have in your tank. They can and will reproduce quickly in the aquarium via sexual and asexual methods. It will quickly reach plague proportions in brightly lit and heavily fed tanks.

Dan

 

[jagster]

Contrary to other posters, I've tried peppermint shrimp to rid my tank of aptasias. They did nothing. My recommendation, mix some kalkwasser with just enough water to make it somewhat fluid. Get a syringe, one of the 5ml types you get in some test kits works well, and inject some of this this mix right into the core of the aptasia. I bit time consuming and you might have to do some rock rearranging, but it works instantly!!

 

[something'sfishy]

Cool,,,I already have a cleaner shrimp..do you think it is ok to have another shrimp in the tank?

 

[something'sfishy]

oooppps, I forgot to mention that my tank is a reef tank with some soft corals.. what else do peppermint shrimp eat? I'm afraid they might eat the other good corals too..

 

[something'sfishy]

I also tried the syringe method with kalkwasser...they were gone for few days then they stared to multiply again..

 

[keitho]

well, whatever method you chose, just get on them quick! don't let them get a head start or you will have a really difficult time catching up. the kalk-loaded syringe really works, you may just have to try to couple of times to ensure you really inject the kalk into the anemone. just remember, time if of the essence! hope this helps...

 

[kevin01]

I also was begining to have an outbreak of these troublesome little guys. I tried Kallawasser, Calcium Supplement, Boiling water, none of these worked. I picked up a Peppermint (guy at the LFS calls them Candy Cane shrimp... ?? ) and overnight every visible polyp was gone. I was amazed to say the least. It has been almost a week now and I havent seen a single one since. I was told that these shrimp would not harm other anemone and corals so if I need to fish the little guy out someone let me know. Got him for free Guess I deserve something for the cash that I blow in there, it just doesn't seem like enough.

 

[clownman]

Checkout this "How do I get Rid of Aiptasia?"

 

[fishpimp]

The peppermint shrimp will eat the aiptasia however if the aiptasia is an inch or more they won't touch it. So get some peppermints for the new growth.