rustyreef Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Hi I just set up my 5.5 last Friday. I got some excellent live rock from Harbor Aquatics in Indiana, but it has a lot (20-30) of small aiptasia on it. Every time I look at the tank it seems 2 more have appeared out of the rock. I've heard of peppermint shrimp eating aiptasia. Im wondering if a pep shrimp would be a good or bad choice once the tank is fully cycled, and a small cleanup crew added.. probly 1-2 months. I've heard how peps will nibble on zoos and such, but at least in the beginning I don't plan on having many corals.. maybe a shroom or 2. So what are your ideas/experiences with pep shrimp in a small tank to get rid of the aiptasia??? And if I can't have the pep shrimp what are my other options to remove aiptasia??? thanks Rusty Link to comment
daFrimpster Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Hey Rusty, Sorry to hear about your aiptasia problem. I am going to Harbor Aquatics facility next Monday to buy rock and sand for my 10 gal. Did you go there and pick it up or get it mail order? Did all the rocks you got have aiptasia? Thanks, Link to comment
rustyreef Posted January 13, 2004 Author Share Posted January 13, 2004 hey frimpster I picked up the rock on site. The largest rock I got (5 lbs) seems to have the most.. about 15. The smaller rocks only have a few. Besides the aiptasia, the rock is excellent.. lots of coralline all over the place.. a bunch of snails.. copepods.. a few brittle stars.. 1 or 2 small softys.. few bristle worms.. and several feather dusters... all in 7 pounds of rock... Good luck with your rock! rusty Link to comment
Carl_in_Florida Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Lots and lots of people with bad experiences with peppermints. If you only have rock and aptasia, you really don't have anything to lose. Mine got rid of the aptasia pretty quick. Link to comment
digz Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Hey, both you guys from Illinois? Know any good FS around the state (specificaly Southern Suburbs of Chicago?). Link to comment
daFrimpster Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Hi Digz, I am downstate, Springfield. We have "the fish man". Small but what they have is nice. Live rock is typical LFS rock. That's why I am driving to Indiana to Harbor Aquatics for LR & LS. I have heard there is a good place in Champaign called SailFin or sometihng like that. I am sure the Chicagoland stores are much better than what we have out here in the sticks. Link to comment
mag0070 Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 hey I was trying to figure out what aiptasia is and I looked it up on google and I pulled this up Click Me Hope this helps. Link to comment
thisanthrope Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 if you havent even finished cycling yet and no livestock is in your tank...nuke em inject each one with some boiling hot water via plastic suringe.:ninja2: Link to comment
seabass Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 If there are no corals in your tank and you like the LR, get a couple a Peppermints to eat that crud. When it’s gone, take the Peppermints back for store credit (or just give them back). However, leave them in the tank for awhile after you can’t see anymore Aiptasia, because sometimes they leave some tissue on the rock that regenerates. Link to comment
bneyman Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I know this won't help you since you odn't have any corals yet, but I read last night another way to get rid of the pests that I haven't heard of. It says if you have an elegance coral, you can gently lift the coral by its base and press the tentacles quickly against the aiptasia! It says one sting from the elegance coral should kill them! Also says in the same paragraph there is a tank-raised species of nudi that preys specifically on aiptasia! Soon to be available! I wonder...to sustain the nudi,you'd have to have ALOT of aiptasia! : I've learned so much from these boards like NR.com and RC.com, recently purchased some reefkeeping books, and although the info online is great, there are just some things you won't pick up on or ever know without the help from these books! Link to comment
daFrimpster Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 RustyReef: I bought 14 lbs from Harbor today. Awesome rock but as the dust began to settle I began to see the aiptasia. Just a 5 or 6 so far. I was just wondering how your battle with them is going? Link to comment
rustyreef Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 my tank is still cycling.. and i should probably be nuking them or something.. but im not doing anything yet. i have tons of aips.. like 30-35.. most are very small though.. i want to get a peppermint shrimp when the cycle is over good luck getting rid of yours! Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.