Which shrimp eat aiptasia

Most importantly though, they will eat nuisance Aiptasia anemones and are an excellent choice to treat this scourge. They do best in groups when tackling an established aiptasia problem.

Colorful with interesting behavior, they will make good pets after handling the Aiptasia in your tank. It takes them very little time to train most hobbyists to feed them when they approach the tank by doing a dance on the front glass.

This species is hermaphroditic and gets along well in groups with other Lysmata species, but does not get along with Coral Banded Shrimp or other Stenopus species. The best way to do that is to know the origin. If they came directly our of FL you're probably good, but if they came from some place that buys through wholesalers in LA, they could be sourced from several places, and there are other species which a hobbyist is not going to be able to distinguish among.

AC said:. That is why you don't inject it. You completely cover it and the Aptasia X kills and disolves it. I have successfully treated many live rocks with this stuff. It works best when you can quarantine the rock with no flow for a number of days so that the solution has a longer time to work on the Aiptasia.

SubRosa said:. Will they eat aiptasia that are large like nickel size disc diameter? Mine is infested with over now from huge to babies. I'm looking for matted filefish to help. I say if they are hungry enough there is NO aiptasia that is safe , I have had them eat very large ones,,, so IMO yes to your question. Oxylebius Well-Known Member. I have had in my tank both Lysmata boggessi and Lysmata ankeri at the same time and they lived in harmony with the aiptasia anemones, didn't harm a single one.

Lysmata boggessi, is also a species known to consume Aiptaisa based on this article by Rhyne et al. One interesting behavior that I observed was that one of these peps did go after some aiptasia only after I applied aiptasia-x. Picked at it and tore it up. I hope this is helpful.

For one, coral reefs typically have far lower organic and nutrient loads than even the cleanest aquarium system. Without an abundant supply of food, aiptasia simply cannot enjoy the explosive growth rates we too often observe in many home aquaria. There are even organisms out there that target them specifically as a food source.

Luckily, some of these aiptasia-eaters can live in aquaria and will indeed feed on aiptasia under captive conditions. Many aquarists have reported success using Berghia sp. However, at this time, the most trusted and commonly available species for aiptasia control is the peppermint shrimp Lysmata boggessi.

This adaptable species inhabits shallow 2—5 meters of depth , subtidal environments of all kinds. This includes soft-bottom seagrass Thalassia testidinum meadows, hard-bottom seaweed beds, rocky shores and coral reefs. When on reefs, it is commonly encountered on the roofs of caves and crevasses or within the cavity of vase sponges.

The peppermint shrimp is decidedly shrimp-like in overall shape. It stays rather small at an adult size of just under a couple inches. It is white or off-white with numerous bright red striations over most or all of its body hence its name. Because of its easygoing temperament and reef-safe status—in addition to its beautiful coloration—the peppermint shrimp was in high demand in the aquarium trade even before its aiptasia-eating abilities were well known.

There are quite a few related Lysmata species that very closely resemble it. And, apparently, these have been lumped in with or confused with some of them. What is important here is that not all of these imposters are as inclined to consume aiptasia anemones. Thankfully, in most of these cases, it has actually been L.