[bpachal]

Hey guys,

Just wanna chime in here about aptasia and what I believe is the best way to handle it. To keep large populations at bay I simply use an insulin needle and a concentrated solution of pH up/down (doesn't matter) The insulin needle, which can be purchased at any drug store for cheap, is a good way to give each anemone a pinpointed dose of pH up/down. What this does is immediately change the water parameters drastically but only in the little space you shot. The anemone shrivles away instantly. The pH shot quickly gets saturated in the water and is nowhere near enough to affect a good tank's buffering system. With that being said I still use caution and only do so many at a time. Obviously this is more of a prevention to an outbreak as you can zap them as you see them; trying to rid an entire tank of aptasia this way is painful and time consuming. I use peppermint shrimp to do the bulk of the work and the pH shots as a helper. There are two different types of peppermint shrimp, although I believe they look identical. The ones I use are called Lysmata Wurdemanni. I will tell you that they eat aptasia as a fact.. not as an aquarist who has had general good luck with them. But only if you get the right kind. The ones I order are listed as the name I mentioned. Most LFS may not know the difference or what type they have.