Aiptasia and peppermint

[schooncw]

Sea Grass File Fish!

 

[Kylepoma12]

I had an aptasia problem recently so I bought 6 peppermint shrimp; 3 for the display and 3 for the refugium. All of the aiptasia was gone within a few weeks, but then I started noticing a lot of dead nasarius snails. I started checking on my tank at night and found a peppermint vigorously attacking one. I removed him, but this took A LOT of time and effort. I'm confident I got him because I lured him with snails ;-) he just couldn't help himself once he got a taste for them. I figured he was the only one out of the 3 that I'd have a problem with since everyone I spoke to said they'd never heard of this. Then one day I spotted a peppermint shrimp, who had a belly covered in eggs, chowing down on a pumping Xenia. So operation remove shrimp began again, and in earnest because I didn't want those eggs hatching, and I got her out. I wonder what other corals they have attacked and if some other issues I have had could have been caused by these jerks. I will leave the ones in the sump since the only thing they can attack there is chaeto, but I will most likely never use peppermint shrimp again. THEY ABSOLUTELY ARE NOT REEF SAFE!! I feel lucky I was able to get them out without tearing my tank apart. I just yesterday bought a copperband butterfly that I confirmed before buying is already eating mysis, and hopefully that covers any future aiptasia problems. But IMO peppermint shrimp are SOB's, and I would never use them again unless I had a terrible aiptasia problem.

 

[Giffin]

We all know that any animal can be out side it's normal behavior for what is topically observed. Alot of reefers when speaking about peppermint shrimp eating there corals or other live stock is really talking about the family relationship. The camel shrimp, looks very close to the peppermints... So much so that only a few difference in marking and body shape that give those details away. Camel shrimp are normally fish friendly but not coral friendly. Many times reefs go to there lfs to buy what they think is a peppermint shrimp and often end up camel shrimp. Some peppermint shrimp go nuts for auptasia and some don't, but camel shrimp they don't care most the time.

So please if you go to buy a peppermint shrimp do some research on them and there family member the camel shrimp. It could be the difference in a long term headache.

 

[Murica]

http://www.reeftown.com/

Would just one work or are they pack hunters? Will they get eaten by tank mates?

 

[Greybeard]

Would just one work or are they pack hunters? Will they get eaten by tank mates?

If you follow that link, they do a good job of describing predators, noting that they are, in fact, colonial feeders, etc. It's a soft bodied slug... lots of critters will eat them, if they can.

I haven't kept Berghia for over a decade, because I haven't needed them. Last time I did, I bought 10 small Berghia for my fairly heavily infested 180g tank. Took them about 4 months to eradicate the aiptasia from the tank, and then they died off. I have to say, they were a bit cheaper back then Anyway, they worked well, did the job, and disappeared.

 

[Murica]

Got aiptasia x..... Where has this stuff been all my life haha

Within about five minutes I zapped about 15 aiptasia

 

[schooncw]

My sea grass filefish has been a model citizen. I highly recommend one. https://www.bluezooaquatics.com/resources.asp?show=412

 

[DH-Reef]

They can nip at them but won't do anything bad. Much less damage than an aiptasia outbreak. Being completely honest sometimes they don't even eat the stuff if you get unlucky lol

I had a bristletail filefish nearly decimate one colony of Zoas and half of another, before I caught him in the act. Was eating them like he had a napkin tucked under his chin.

I moved him to the FOWLR that night and within a week the one colony began to recover. A month later and the other is starting to come back. It's only my experience, but I'll never put a filefish in my reef tank again.

 

[Giffin]

Would just one work or are they pack hunters? Will they get eaten by tank mates?

Depends on tank size, sometimes one will do. But there is something to see when you have three or more of them... As the like to dance on the rock work or sway back and forth in unison.

But if your not looking to add to your cleaner crew then I would look to other options out side of live stock to remove the problem.

 

[reefwiser]

One thing I have learned about Peppermint shrimp is that to make sure they eat aiptasia do not feed the tank . In other words if you want to make sure that they eat aiptasia all fish must not be fed either. Other wises they will feed off the scraps left from feeding the fish before eating the aiptasia. This is the main reason people say they do not work.

 

[Catchemall]

Every time I use apstasia x I turn off the flow and zap em and they melt the. They just grow back I shake the bottle real well but don't know if I got a bad bottle or what. Any tips?

 

[Biggles]

I have a few aiptasia in the tank so i went to my LFS and bought five pep shrimp, they were only 3/4" long and cost $15- each so $75-00 !

Took them home and tipped them into a small fish net and after turning off the gyre so they could easily swim to the bottom, i gently released them into the display. Four out of the five were eaten by my cardinals within a couple of seconds. The fifth made it to the bottom but was so traumatized by the ordeal that he killed himself on a pump that night.

The net i used to release them with is the same one i use to rinse and feed mysis with daily but i doubt that contributed to what happened in any way. I suspect Dave my LFS guy sold me super jumbo live mysis, nothing else explains what happened. Any other hypothesis would involve error on my behalf and that's never the case in my experience.

That was months ago and i'm still too traumatized to give the fish another go at the ' biggles all you can eat for $75- shrimp buffet '

Haven't actually got the shrimp and aiptasia together yet but a night release is prob a good option if you feed your fish the way i do............

 

[iemsparticus]

We all know that any animal can be out side it's normal behavior for what is topically observed. Alot of reefers when speaking about peppermint shrimp eating there corals or other live stock is really talking about the family relationship. The camel shrimp, looks very close to the peppermints... So much so that only a few difference in marking and body shape that give those details away. Camel shrimp are normally fish friendly but not coral friendly. Many times reefs go to there lfs to buy what they think is a peppermint shrimp and often end up camel shrimp. Some peppermint shrimp go nuts for auptasia and some don't, but camel shrimp they don't care most the time.

So please if you go to buy a peppermint shrimp do some research on them and there family member the camel shrimp. It could be the difference in a long term headache.

I just recently got rid of one of my ORA Captive Bred Peppermint Shrimp (yes, Peppermint Shrimp, not a Camel Shrimp) because he killed and ate my Nassarius Snails, as well as ripping into my Hammer, and bothering my other LPS. I've heard it all from "must have been a camel... peppermints don't do that" to "it was eating the coral, it was pulling food out of their mouths." Wrong and wrong. He was a killing machine, and had to go.

I have another Peppermint Shrimp who doesn't kill anything, only eats dead things and left over food/detritus... and also picks at my hand when I put it in the tank.

In my opinion, Peppermint Shrimp are Reef Safe WITH CAUTION... and know that some work and some don't. Some are peaceful and some are not. If that is your answer for Aptasia, it's fine, but make sure you have a plan in place for if they go rogue.

 

[LJC6780]

Luckily my peppermint has a taste for aiptasia and not my corals. I got him/her when I had about 3-4 aiptasias pop up and they were gone within a day. I always throw a snack towards all of the shrimp and crabs when feeding the tank to hopefully keep them from going rogue. I haven't caught anyone eating corals ... yet. Let's knock on wood that it stays that way!

 

[Giffin]

I just recently got rid of one of my ORA Captive Bred Peppermint Shrimp (yes, Peppermint Shrimp, not a Camel Shrimp) because he killed and ate my Nassarius Snails, as well as ripping into my Hammer, and bothering my other LPS. I've heard it all from "must have been a camel... peppermints don't do that" to "it was eating the coral, it was pulling food out of their mouths." Wrong and wrong. He was a killing machine, and had to go.

I have another Peppermint Shrimp who doesn't kill anything, only eats dead things and left over food/detritus... and also picks at my hand when I put it in the tank.

In my opinion, Peppermint Shrimp are Reef Safe WITH CAUTION... and know that some work and some don't. Some are peaceful and some are not. If that is your answer for Aptasia, it's fine, but make sure you have a plan in place for if they go rogue.

Yes hince the. Beginning statement I made. That we all have seen animals in this hobby that can and some do show behaviors out side what is normally observed. Any animal in this hobby with reef safe is only a wide trem for the species. So are peppermint shrimp reef safe, well yes. Could you end up with one that hates you and your corals and tank... Yes.

I for one have never had trouble with the little guys, only seen them take food form corals, but so do some of the fish, and dance about the tank and cleaning up everything but fish.

Do I think they are a good control for aiptasia... 50/50. I think the peppermint shrimp is a member of a clean up crew that unless your wanting one... There are other options to dealing with aiptasia that can just be so much more fun.

 

[iemsparticus]

Yes hince the. Beginning statement I made. That we all have seen animals in this hobby that can and some do show behaviors out side what is normally observed. Any animal in this hobby with reef safe is only a wide trem for the species. So are peppermint shrimp reef safe, well yes. Could you end up with one that hates you and your corals and tank... Yes.

I for one have never had trouble with the little guys, only seen them take food form corals, but so do some of the fish, and dance about the tank and cleaning up everything but fish.

Do I think they are a good control for aiptasia... 50/50. I think the peppermint shrimp is a member of a clean up crew that unless your wanting one... There are other options to dealing with aiptasia that can just be so much more fun.

I have seen enough anecdotal evidence regarding Peppermint Shrimp killing Snails and LPS/Softies that I would say it's more than just "some animals show behaviors against what is normally observed." In fact, I have seen specifically stated by a vendor that specializes in selling CUCs that Peppermints are known to be dangerous to Snails, particularly to stressed out Snails.

 

[Giffin]

I have seen enough anecdotal evidence regarding Peppermint Shrimp killing Snails and LPS/Softies that I would say it's more than just "some animals show behaviors against what is normally observed." In fact, I have seen specifically stated by a vendor that specializes in selling CUCs that Peppermints are known to be dangerous to Snails, particularly to stressed out Snails.

that's also just like saying crabs also go after snails. Witch they do.
anecdotal evidence is only that.
The people that spent years studying and writing books on our lovely hobby... Witch mind you the books still stand true today, witch give the trem reef safe in our hobby does in fact say peppermint shrimp are reef safe. I think it's 50/50.

like back in the day I had an emerald crab. He was awesome did what he was there to do until after a few years he passed one... The one that I replaced him with went crazy on coral and fish alike. Not a cool dude.

I think any time you place a new animal into your tank, matter what the book says you take that chance that you will get that "one" that destroied everything.

In no means am I saying your wrong, you seem to hate the shrimp, it's understandable...

 

[iemsparticus]

that's also just like saying crabs also go after snails. Witch they do.
anecdotal evidence is only that.
The people that spent years studying and writing books on our lovely hobby... Witch mind you the books still stand true today, witch give the trem reef safe in our hobby does in fact say peppermint shrimp are reef safe. I think it's 50/50.

like back in the day I had an emerald crab. He was awesome did what he was there to do until after a few years he passed one... The one that I replaced him with went crazy on coral and fish alike. Not a cool dude.

I think any time you place a new animal into your tank, matter what the book says you take that chance that you will get that "one" that destroied everything.

In no means am I saying your wrong, you seem to hate the shrimp, it's understandable...

I don't hate the shrimp at all... in fact, as I said, I still have one that is a model citizen. I simply want to make people aware that this Shrimp isn't as reef safe as a lot of people try to make them out to be... go into it with open eyes.

Just as an aside, there is a stigma today about anecdotal evidence, and there shouldn't be. Almost everything we "know" about this hobby is anecdotal. Behavioral studies are all anecdotal. There isn't anything wrong or "second tier" with anecdotal evidence. It's been the basis for all scientific research, and it's how we learn and communicate our knowledge.

 

[schooncw]

I would add a sea grass file fish. As I said, mine is great and he is a very cool looking and acting fish. The other thing to consider, is that they hang out in the open and are really easy to catch. Nothing is 100% and once the pests are gone if it misbehaves, remove it. I would hate to try and catch peppermint shrimp in my system!

 

[Giffin]

I don't hate the shrimp at all... in fact, as I said, I still have one that is a model citizenso . I simply want to make people aware that this Shrimp isn't as reef safe as a lot of people try to make them out to be... go into it with open eyes.

Just as an aside, there is a stigma today about anecdotal evidence, and there shouldn't be. Almost everything we "know" about this hobby is anecdotal. Behavioral studies are all anecdotal. There isn't anything wrong or "second tier" with anecdotal evidence. It's been the basis for all scientific research, and it's how we learn and communicate our knowledge.

So in a way we have been fighting the same point just form different views.

I can say tho that I have seen my peppermints clean everything in my tank but fish, and sometimes it looks like they are picking at snails or some of my Coral's, but never have they eaten them unless say a snail dies.

When it comes to anecdotal evidence, I do believe there is a difference form someone who has studied this there hole life, makes a living form it... Compared to people in the hobby or a vendor. I have often times like I said walked into a lfs to find camel shrimp sold as peppermints. All because the vendor didn't know any different, or the lfs couldn't sale them as camel to people with reef tank so they tried to sneak something in.

I believe everyone should do there research before adding something. It's a ground rule that is said all the time.

You had trouble with one of your two peppermints, as where all three of mine are good. Just cause your ora peppermint went crazy doesn't mean they should have a bad name. Just like my emerald crab. Still love the guys.

But your right, people should know what they could be buying. Both in the end of it could be a camel shrimp or a peppermint that could be good/crazy. As well as any animal we add. And that peppermint may also not be the answer to aiptasia.

Thank you for the fun.