Peppermint Shrimp ARE NOT reef safe.......

[SeeDemTails]

I wasnt sure if it was dissapering on its own, but last night I caught my peppermint shrimp chowing down on an entire head of pulsating xenia! I went from 8 stalks to none!...he ate the last big one! :x

After your aiptasia are gone, be careful what he moves onto next! Now that I have no xenia, I am watching my zoas like a hawk....if he touches those before I can remove him, he is done for!

I keep him well fed, feeding him brine shrimp and other food out of a straw so he doesnt have to compete with the much faster dotty back...but I guess that wasnt enough to calm his appetite!

He is gone....I have no more aptasia and after this he has wore out his welcome....into the 37 he goes!

Any idea on how to catch a peppermint shirmp in a heavily built reef?

Oh well, I like skarlet skunks better anyway, and maybe they wont eat xenia!

 

[austinsdad]

Maybe you can lure him with the straw/food in one hand and a net in the other?

 

[melosu58]

I know the old tilted glass with food in it works for crabs,maybe it will work for a shrimp.

 

[austinsdad]

But shrimp can swim better, so they may be able to get out of that I'm thinking.

 

[melosu58]

You`re probably right I`ve never had to catch a shrimp before. just a suggestion.

 

[afishyonados]

The old coke bottle trick always works.

 

[AquaReefer]

I have never had any problems with my Peps. I have always had them in all my tanks. Are you sure its a pep and not a Camel shrimp. Camel shrimp look a lot like peps and are known coral muchers. Like I stated before I never had any problems with Pep along with all my buddies that have them.

 

[austinsdad]

Are you sure its a pep and not a Camel shrimp.

Good point!

 

[SeeDemTails]

No, it is a peppermint...I am 100% sure, it is a rather large one at that!

It ate about 50 aiptasia in 3 days when I first got it.

 

[abnmojo]

Try the coke bottle trick, or if the tank is small you can use a 20 oz plastic soda bottle too. It works every time for shrimp, and on small fish as well.

I have not kept peppermint or camel shrimp in years because I don't like it when they hide all the time. I have had skunk, fire and coral banded and have never seen any problems with them eating corals, ever. The coral banded will catch and eat small fish however. I would go with a skunk if you want a shrimp that will never eat your coral and will stay out where you can see him.

 

[SeeDemTails]

I am going to put him in a 37 gal and get a skunk.

Any thoughs about putting a shrimp in a new tank?.....I have always added them down the road, my tank is cycled and I am getting ready to add two clowns, will a shrimp be ok in a new tank?

 

[afishyonados]

Yes. Drip acclimate the shrimp over.

 

[SeeDemTails]

I only drip acclimate!

 

[melosu58]

No reason why you cant. I like the blood shrimp

 

[afishyonados]

Brilliant!

 

[roka64]

I like the blood shrimp too, they can also act as a cleaner.....

 

[austinsdad]

My experience when stuff died is that the blood reds lived when skunks were gone. I think the reds are more hardy. Happended with me a few times, skunks dissapeared and the reds lived. Just FYIing...

 

[SeeDemTails]

Well, the skunk will be going into a very well established aquarium, and I doubt I will have any other issues than thew neon dottyback giving him a good once over.

I thought shrimp needed some time before going into a tank....maybe that is starfish I was thinking off?

Anyway I plan to move him later today.

The tank he is going into finished cycleing, and the nitrates are around 5....think he will be ok in this water?...I have had him for a while and xenia eater or not, I dont want to hurt him.

Do shrimp add heavily to your bio load?.....or are they light on your tank.....this is a new tank, and I have to add some clowns I have already purchased......I dont want to crash anything!

 

[austinsdad]

Shrimp is almost no bio-load. Since he needs a home to behave, I'd go ahead and move now. Starfish, hermits and snails are good starts as a cleanup crew. Not a large # yet though. If no fish yet, throw a bit of food in there maybe couple times a week (if it were me). Then, they'll get fish leftovers when yu get some.