peppermint shrimp not eating aptasias:(

[jenkins2212]

My tank is over run with huge aptasias that i got some peps to "take" care of. All i have right now are some hermits and the shrimp. So i dont feed the tank anything right now. Will the peps get hungry enough to eat the aptasias or will they starve first?

 

[alexander86]

I also have the same problem, bought the peppermint, and has my aiptasia problem started to go away? I think not! lol.. I just need to remember to get a turkey baster and syringe, and I'll try the boiling water trick..

 

[jenkins2212]

I tried the boiling water and it didnt work either. I went to every store in atlanta looking for a damn shrimp to eat these aptasias without having to use any other means and now they're just sitting there swaying back and forth

 

[travis89]

I would recommend joe's juice, peppermints didn't work for me either.

 

[squirreloso]

give it a few weeks. my peps took a little while to remove the apastia
i feed my peppermint shrimp shrimp pellets, they go nuts for it

 

[ifirefight]

Boiling water works.........IF you do it properly. Step 1. Boil RO/DI water...Step 2. Put into syringe. Step 3. And the MOST important step. SLOWLY>>>>>squirt boiling water on offending pest.........should take 20-30 seconds to empty a LARGE syringe,not a little 1cc or 10 cc jobbie, you need at least 60 cc or .....for all you non-metric people ...1/4 cup boiling H2O....... pest will be TERMINATED.

 

[m0nk]

Peppermint shrimp as a method of aptasia control is sorta hit or miss. It worked for me, but you have to be patient, and the aptasia have to be pretty small still. If the whole thing is bigger than the main body of the shrimp it'll never eat it. Wait a week or two, or try the boiling water trick on a few while you wait for the shrimp to get the others.
You could always take the rock out and give it a freshwater (RO/DI) dip, if it's accessible. Still, I'd wait to see if the shrimp go to town. Just make sure when they're all gone that you take that into account with your feeding so that the shrimp doesn't starve.

 

[luca brasi]

here's another thread that looks helpful-
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/272392/the-secret-to-making-peppermint-shrimp-eat-your-aptasia

 

[jenkins2212]

Thanks for all the replies.... I guess ill wait it out and see what happens. Should i still feed the shrimp pellet food until then or let them feed on other stuff in the tank?

 

[al mc]

Think Berghia Nudibranch.......Goggle to find them.

 

[mie]

copper banded butterfly fish will eat them

 

[shrimpi]

the problem with the pepp. shrimp situation is that alot of times at the LFS you arent getting a pepp. shrimp... you are getting something else that LOOKS like a peppermint. Like a morph of a camel shrimp or something.
Pepp. shrimp usually eat aiptasia. The ones that ARENT pepp.s and dont eat aiptasia are usually bad news and have even been known to eat CORALS!

If you are getting a pepp. Shrimp make sure its a true pepp. shrimp.
Look here : click here
notice how it says "These are true Caribbean Peppermint Shrimp"
They didnt put that statement in there for no reason. Many places sell 'impostor pepp.s' lol.
Its like shrimp fraud.

 

[luca brasi]

Originally Posted by Shrimpi
the problem with the pepp. shrimp situation is that alot of times at the LFS you arent getting a pepp. shrimp... you are getting something else that LOOKS like a peppermint. Like a morph of a camel shrimp or something.
Pepp. shrimp usually eat aiptasia. The ones that ARENT pepp.s and dont eat aiptasia are usually bad news and have even been known to eat CORALS!

If you are getting a pepp. Shrimp make sure its a true pepp. shrimp.
Look here : click here
notice how it says "These are true Caribbean Peppermint Shrimp"
They didnt put that statement in there for no reason. Many places sell 'impostor pepp.s' lol.
Its like shrimp fraud.

Good advice, that's where I got mine from!

 

[scotty37]

I am probably the only one, but I had an aip outbreak, and my emerald crabs had a field day on them, never seen another aip since.

 

[curlsoc]

Well, nice to hear someone else had an emerald crab eat one. I swear I had one eat one the other day. I saw the start of an outbreak, went and got some stuff, and lo and behold, it was gone after I saw an emerald crab near it. Now I know I love these guys!