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Mark Peterson 
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 Topic: This trick gets Peppermint Shrimp to eat Aiptasia
Posted: September 26 2014 at 10:30pm |
Peppermint Shrimp are generally considered an easy way to keep a reef tank Aiptasia-free. Three weeks ago I added four Peppermint Shrimp to a 30 gal tank holding about 50 lbs of Aiptasia covered LR. I waited, and waited, and waited to see the Aiptasia disappear. Nope. Still there, as thick as before. Okay I said, "If the PS won't eat 'um, I'll zap those buggers with Kalk paste." Zapped a few one day and a few more a day later, being careful not to overload the small tank with too much Kalkwasser, which would send the pH skyrocketing and kill more than Aiptasia.
It's been about 4 days since the second zapping. I cannot see one single Aiptasia. My guess is that the Peppermint Shrimp just needed a kick start. Finding some dying Aiptasia that were easy eating gave them the boost they needed to eat up every last Aiptasia. 
Aloha 
Edited by Mark Peterson - November 20 2014 at 8:52am
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Lewy
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Posted: September 27 2014 at 3:23pm |
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awesome!!!
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40 gal w/ 20 sump
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: November 20 2014 at 8:51am |
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bump
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Jeremyw
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Posted: November 20 2014 at 8:53am |
Where did you get your PS?
J
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keithro
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Posted: November 20 2014 at 8:57am |
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I picked up ps from Jays Jungle in Provo a few weeks back. Check with them.
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Jeremyw
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Posted: November 20 2014 at 9:20am |
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How much were they?
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: November 20 2014 at 10:07am |
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Fish-4-U seems to always carry them in stock @ $4.99 each.
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FishnFriendz
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Posted: November 20 2014 at 11:24am |
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Great to know. Thanks for sharing :)
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redleader
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Posted: November 20 2014 at 12:15pm |
Kill an aptasia, and then PS will eat it, I'll try that as well.
I have one in an area I found this morning.
I have 55g with 4 PS in it and nothing going on in aptasia control
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Everything in life is possible. You just have to dream big, and act bigger.
150 G Reef
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: November 20 2014 at 10:27pm |
Almost forgot to mention that I wasn't feeding that LR tank anything. So the PS were hungry. In a regular reef with fish and such, this means that feeding should be slowed and maybe even curtailed for a few days to help entice the PS to feed on the Aiptasia.
Food availability is the major reason for all sorts of behavior(good and bad) on the reef.
Aloha |
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