Peppermint shrimp eating Ricordia?

[Gatorfreak]

I just got some ricordia. It seems my peppermint shrimp are eating it. I thought they were "reef safe". I guess I'll need to put them in the sump.

 

[fireman26m]

Peps are reef-safe as far as I know. Are you sure they weren't just cleaning the ric? Mine occasionly clean corals. It may irritate the coral for a bit but it isn't harming it.

Fireman

 

[dralarms]

Mine clean my corals also.

 

[Gatorfreak]

May have been what he was doing. I certainly hope so! Hasn't messed with it since. Had me worried there when it jumped all over my new ricordia. Thanks for calming my fears.

 

[Florida8]

Mine have done that as well when adding new things... just cleaning up

Kimberly

 

[fireman26m]

He's checking to see if you brought him any goodies from the LFS too!!!

 

[lando]

Lysmata wurdemanni (aka...peppermint shrimp) is considered to be reef-safe. They are great at controlling aiptasia, however, this behavior can be redirected toward other corals and anemones. You should always keep a close eye on peps in a reef tank because of this. That being said, I have never had any trouble with mine. Their cousin, the camel shrimp, tends to be more of a coral nipper. They look very similar and I have seen some LFS selling camel shrimp as peppermint shrimp. Just need to make sure it is, indeed, a peppermint. If it is a peppermint and does nip at your corals, it should be considered rare, but not surprising.

 

[coralife]

THEY CLEAN CORAL, FISH AND ANYTHING WHEN THEY ARE HUNGRY. mINE WENT THE CLOWN WAY(MY TOMATO CLOWN ATE THEM).