Peppermint Shrimp...can/will they eat soft corals?

JuniorMC8704 · May 23, 2009

I added a few peppermint shrimp (im sure they arent camel or other) to eat up some aptasia that came in on a few frags from a web order, and they mowed those down in days.

Now i am noticing that half my rics are gone, or look torn up...

Im crushed...the only thing in that tank is corals and those shrimp...

FateX8 · May 23, 2009

never seen that happen but ive been hearing strange things happening lately so i wouldnt count anything out anymore

The Nomad · May 23, 2009

I've witnessed them kill snails, but not coral. Allthough they are scavengers and I wouldn't put it past them to eat coral.

kateater · May 23, 2009

I wouldn't think so you may have introduced something else to your system from that same frag.

SDguy · May 23, 2009

My long term pepps,breeding/releasing eggs regularly, have never touched a single coral. But they eat aptasia no problem.

JR's Reef · May 23, 2009

Im sure they would if they run out of stuff to eat. Like us they will fight to live.

Hypertek99 · May 23, 2009

Mine eats aiptasia but never touch anything else and i have ricordias too. But i have heard it will eat LPS and soft corals.

Azurel · May 23, 2009

True Pepps are reef safe or supposed to be.....Have a pic? There is like 3-4 others sold under that name and camel shrimp..

droblack · May 23, 2009

I have definitely witnessed peppermints eating soft coral and ripping food from the mouths and bellies of lps. Not welcome in my tanks.

Reefinginpasadena · May 24, 2009

like someone else said i dont think those are true pepperments i have had a lot and never had a problem with them and i keep LPS and softies?? so thats wierd you should put a pic of them up

kass03 · May 24, 2009

Ive read where peps will eat corals. I also gave a friend a pocillapora frag once and he said his pep jumped on it and ate most of it.
It makes sense to me that if they eat aptaisia they might go after other corals.
That said I've kept them and never saw them bother anything but they are active at night. Try looking when the lights are off with a flashlight.

kass

slipondajimmy · May 24, 2009

I had a few in my tank and never witnessed them eat anything. Most of the time they would hide in the rocks and only come out when it was feeding time.

Gimili the Great · May 24, 2009

i am not sure about eating corals but here is a good article to make sure you get the right peps

http://fish.suite101.com/article.cfm/peppermint_shrimp_imposters

SeaSlug · May 24, 2009

I have a couple in my main display tank and they don't eat the corals , here is a thought though . IMO scavengers will eat anything if they get hungry enough , even if they are labeled " Reef Safe " . You said all thats in the tank is Corals and those shrimp . I'm guessing here that you don't feed the tank because there are no fish . Inverts need food too , so if there is nothing to eat they have to make do , this means develop a taste for corals as it is there only food source . Now that they devolped a taste for corals there is no turning back . Get the shrimp out and replace with new ones , once you do that be sure to drop some pellets in every other day and they will leave your corals alone . I like to use pellets for inverts because they swell with moisture and once they shrimp eat them it keeps them full and happy .They will also keep doing there job on pest anemones to supplement there diet .Hope this helps .

acanman · May 24, 2009

i have 2 in my lps tank and they dont bother anything.. Real pepperments are reef safe.. i mean they will try to steal food from your corals when you spot feed.. but so will any cleaner shrimp... mine has never tried to eat my corals.. and i have rics also....

dfurbee · May 24, 2009

Peppermints have never bothered my corals. But my 6 line ate all the small ones

phil_pl · May 24, 2009

my peppermint shrimp loved snails but never touched any of my corals

gflat65 · May 26, 2009

I loaded a tank with pepermints to kill Aips and they ate every anemone in the tank (mushrooms, several really nice rock anemones, etc.). Generally, though, if they are fed, they leave most other things alone (or stop just short of real detriment). Sounds like your's may have developed a taste...

red02 · May 29, 2009

i have had them eat some Lps corals & sps did not believe it till i saw them at night eating away i put 8 of them in a 75 gal.Bought all of Jeff's from him when he closed down the fish guys will never put another one in my tank again because they are hell to get out.