Peppermint Shrimp are eating my yellow polyps:(

[zenn]

I had a nice little colony of yellow polyps, and i've started noticing that the colony appears to be shrinking slowly. So I am going to go ahead and blame this on the two Peppermint shrimp i have. The shrimp only come out at night so I'm guessing that's why i don't see them eating the polyps.

I want to get rid of the shrimp before all my yellow polyps are gone. I will deal with the aptaisa another way. How do I get the peppermint shrimp out without tearing my reef apart? They are timid and hide all day.

[ColdFish]

Ouch
I did read someplace when I was researching mine that peppermint shrimp will eat them
No idea how to go about trapping them.

[roka64]

Try a trap w/some food in it....

[zenn]

I've alread thought of a trap....but that's easier said than done. Shrimp aren't crabs and they can get out of just about anything i can think of to make. Maybe the 2 liter coke bottle trick will work though. In the mean time....i'm moving my yellow polyps somewhere safe. Hopefully I'll catch them soon and exchange them at the LFS.

[mp3z24]

coke bottle trick should work...

but they are pretty agile (and quick) and may be able to get out. if you do try it, i would monitor the trap after you turn out the lights, and you should be able to use a net to "close off" the end of the bottle once the shrimp is inside.

~mike

[melosu58]

Are you sure that it is the shrimp. Sometimes they will be eating bits of algea that are between them. You dont have an angel in the tank do you. I had some yellow polyps and was disapearing and later found out it was my keyhole munching on them.

[zenn]

no angels...just a yellow tang, mandarin, yellow goby, 2 clowns and a few chromis. I have some emerald crabs that might be to blame. But i suspect the peppermints first. I've had them for about 9 months and they've gotten rather big.

[TheRealFF]

I would say the emerald crabs are eating the yellow polyps. I had 1 emerald crab and he killed my yellow leather and my sea squirt

[melosu58]

I`m just saying be sure. You might have the wrong suspect. It dont sound like you`ve got enough evidence. Good Luck

[zenn]

Originally Posted by melosu58

I`m just saying be sure. You might have the wrong suspect. It dont sound like you`ve got enough evidence. Good Luck

true, i could have the wrong suspect. I saw one of my emeralds eating on one of my zoos today. Not happy about that. I was hoping they wouldn't do that. I'm going to probably trade them back into the LFS once i can catch them. Still debating wether the peppermints have to go as well...

[seaham358]

There are 2 tpes of shrimp that are sold as Peppermint Shrimp.. It is not unheard of for them to eat small polyps.. I have one that was given to me by another reefer because it was eating his corals. I stuck it in my fuge/small fish tank.

Lysmata wurdemanni and the Lysmata californica

[lando]

DO you have a pic of the shrimp? Peppermints closly resemble the camel shrimp, which are know coral munchers. I have often times seen them mis-labled at some LFS.

[zenn]

i can get a picture if need be...but do camel shrimp eat aptaisa? Because I bought these peppermint shrimp to handle the aptaisa problem...and they did...they eat it up. I can still get a picture if need be. Just on my way out the door for the day though.

[TheRealFF]

Camel shrimps have a "hump" on their back, which is why they are called camel shrimps lol. The color and decoration on them are the same as peppermint shrimps. HTH

[Fluff]

I only wish my peps would eat my yellow polyps.

Have you watched the coral at night for preditory crabs/snails or parasites? Just a thought.

[ColdFish]

This is where I saw that peppermints will eat them: http://www.marinedepotlive.com/yello...---polyps.html

Coule be in error I guess, but the reasoning seems to make sense.

[TheRealFF]

This is where I saw that peppermints will eat them: http://www.marinedepotlive.com/yello...---polyps.html

Coule be in error I guess, but the reasoning seems to make sense.

Nice find. It does make sense.