Aptasia Treatment Kills Shrimp??

[theprince]

I have a 46G Bow w/ 20#LS, 40#LR, and 20# Base Rock that is srarting to color. The tank has been setup about 6 months. I have a very light bio load with a single small Ocellaris, several mushroom rocks, some zoos, a small leather, and candy cane. I also got a fire shrimp about two weeks ago.

This week I noticed a small ~1/4 inch Aptasia on the side of one of the mushroom rocks. I shot the Aptasia with about 1/2t of Kent's Liquid Calcium from a syringe. The Aptasia shriveled and shrunk but came back the next day much smaller but still alive. I gave it another 1/2t shot of the Kent's. This was yesterday.

Today the Fire Shimp was dead. I found his exoskeleton but not much else. Did I kill him with the Calcium? I tested the water for Nitrate, Nitrite, and Amonia. These are all zero.

I would like to replace the Fire Shrimp but would also like to get a True Pepermint as preventative control against the Aptasia. Will the shrimp co-exist?

 

[mungus]

The "exoskeleton" may just be his molt.(sheading of his outer shell) After a shrimp molts its shell will be soft and they usually go into hiding. He may very well still be alive.

Brian

 

[NaH2O]

I agree, it sounds like it may have simply been the shrimp's molt. Keep your eyes out, and see if you can find the shrimp in a day or so. Peppermints and the shrimp should get along fine...my cleaner shrimp and my peppermint shrimp don't have any issues at all.

Hope this helps! Let us know if it was the molt...

 

[loohunter]

i would watch out on the pepermints as they have been known to eat zoo's after the aptasia are gone

 

[theprince]

Thanks for all the great replys. The shrimp came out ot eat tonight and then disapeared again. I think he was molting. I'll key an eye on him over the next couple of days.

 

[theprince]

Shanon & Lisa

Thanks for the feedback on the peppermint shrimp. The zoos I got from you are beautiful and I don't want anything to happen to them.

Eric

 

[Sk8r]

The particular polyps peppermints may go after are yellow polyps, the fast-growing kind, by what I've been told. I have peppermints, a couple of big ones, and they'd much rather eat fishfood; I have palys, and xenia, and neither attracts any trouble from the shrimp.

 

[RockyHeap]

Joes Juice is the BEST treatment for aptasia I've found after trying the calcium treatment and other injectables......

One squirt of joes juice and they're good as dead.

 

[mr limpet]

i believe camel or monkey shrimp are much more likely to go after your zoo than the peppermints

 

[theprince]

Hey Rocky -

The Kent's liquid calcium worked but I caught it early. I know Joe's is controversial since the ingredient list is proprietary but that was one of my next options

 

[NaH2O]

I didn't have much luck with Joe's Juice. It worked for some of the aiptasia, but others it seemed like they laughed at it. Peppermint shrimp worked the best for my tank...again, they can be hit or miss. On a side note....I had asked the Joe's Juice guy one time if he could disclose the active ingredient, which he didn't disclose (I knew the chance was slim, but I took a shot). After some thought, I can't imagine if a child got into that stuff....what are you supposed to tell Poison Control?? Sorry, I don't know what she put in her mouth....nothing is on the bottle...but it kills aiptasia! Sorry....went off on a rant there about bottle labelling. Now back to your regularly scheduled thread...

 

[RockyHeap]

Well look at any of our special chemicals, SeaFirst Test Kits, Reef builder stuff or other dosing additives and not many of them list actual ingredients. Keep you kids out of everything "including under the kitchen sink" is a parents total responsibility.

All I know is Joes Juice kicked butt on my Aiptasia, even when used right next to or among many different species of Zoo's, Softies, Shrooms, and Sponges.

Not ANY other collateral damage or loss to innocent critters from "friendly fire"

The Joes Juice bottle is pretty small for the ~$8 bucks through Marine Depot, so I just got two, and watered them down a bit to stretch it out little for more yeild.

Joys of a 135 gallon tank with 250 pounds of rock, lots of nooks and crannies for the little buggers to sneak and hide in.

 

[theprince]

Rocky

Do you use a syringe to shoot the Aptasia or something else?

Eric

 

[NaH2O]

Well look at any of our special chemicals, SeaFirst Test Kits, Reef builder stuff or other dosing additives and not many of them list actual ingredients. Keep you kids out of everything "including under the kitchen sink" is a parents total responsibility.

No doubt - I have cabinet locks anywhere there are chemicals. I'm definately not negligent with that respect. There is no way *knock on wood* that it would happen, but in the event that an accident occured, it would be nice to know what to tell Poison Control. I would include anything without sufficient labelling in my comment, although I believe the majority of the products I use list active ingredients.

 

[Teresa]

I've heard staight lemon juice injected into the aiptasia works very good.
Has anyone else tried this or has any more info?

 

[Ugla]

I tried lemon juice. I have mojanos they shriveled up only to be just fine the next day. After spending tons on shrimp Copperband butterflies, and nudibranchs, Joe's juice is he only thing that kills them dead. I use it about every six months. I have about a hundred now, time for a killing spree.