Aiptasia and peppermint shrimp?

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gleach

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 15, 2014
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Location
Orange County, CA,
So I have a bit of small aiptasia. I'm hearing peppermint shrimp will control it but im wondering, how much damage to zoas do they cause if any. I was warned by my lfs there is a potential for them to destroy zoas?

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My peppermint ate all my aiptasia in a 3G pico, and hasn't touched my zoas (well, he does sometimes walk all over them but that's ok lol.) Usually peppermints don't eat coral, from what I've found.
 
I have a 92 corner reef tank and 4 peppermints. They didn't touch it. But....Joes Juice kills them immediately. Won't hurt corals either. You just put a tad on the the face of each aiptasia and it instantly shrivels up never to be seen again!
 
What's better peppermints Joes juice or aiptasia x.

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In terms of Joes juice or aiptasia-x, it is up to the user. People also have success with boiling water/lemon juice being shot into the anemone's mouth. Though the before mentioned products have better success rates on my end. Peppermints I have never witnessed consuming aiptasia. There is a theory, far from proven, that they only have interest in very small aiptasia and none in the large anemones.
 
I have seen peppermint shrimp wipe out a massive aptasia infestation in just a few days. Some of these anemones were pretty large also. They are hit or miss however, so you may not have the same result. I have never seen a peppermint shrimp eat or destroy coral, but I have seen camelback shrimp eat coral and they look similar.
I'm thinking some stores sell camelbacks as peppermints.
 
Joes juice you just have to squirt near tha aiptasia and it will grab it and pull it in. Then u will never see that one again.
 
What's the best way to tell a camel back from a peppermint shrimp?

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camelback-
camelShrimp1.jpg



peppermint-
PEPPERMINT%20SHRIMP.jpg


..
 
Joes Juice all the way. Peppermint shrimp are a hit or miss...mostly a miss in my experience.
 
I have success in my DT with peppermints. No Aptasia in the DT at all but I do have some in the sump. Only difference is I keep a pack of peppermints in the DT. Again, hit or miss. As far as peppermints eating coral I've never seen it. However I have seen them eating coral that is dying, as that is their job, cleaning up. I believe many people confuse them between eating healthy coral and cleaning up decomposing tissue off of dying coral.
 
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