A new method for the determination of peptide antibiotics in sediment from aquaculture environment by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed. The target analytes in sediments were ultrasonically extracted twice with citrate buffer solution and methol mixture (3∶ 4, V/ V), followed by complexation with 0. 5 g of Na2 EDTA, purification with 5 mL of methyl isobutyl ketone, and clean-up with HLB-SPE column. The analytes were separated on a MGII C18 column by gradient elution with 0. 1% formaic acid-0. 1% formaic acid acetonitrile as mobile phase, detected in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with electrospray ionization (ESI) under positive ion mode, and quantified by external standard method. The calibration curves were linear (R2 >0. 999) over a concentration range of 10 -10000μg / L for colistin and bacitracin and 4-4000 μg / L for virginiamycin M1 . The limits of detection (S / N = 3) were 5 μg / kg for colistin and bacitracin and 2 μg / kg for virginiamycin M1 . The limits of quantification (S / N=10) was 10 μg / kg for colistin and bacitracin and 4 μg / kg for virginiamycin M1 . At three spiked levels, the recoveries ranged from 79. 7% to 91. 6% (RSD=1. 9% -10. 8% ), showing high sensitivity, good reproducibility and wide applicability.