Peppermint shrimp harming GSP?

cowboycoyote · Nov 11, 2022

Hi! I recently just got my tank started and got a GSP and a mushroom, along with a CUC of Trochus snail and a peppermint shrimp. I asked my LFS if they were reef safe and they said yes. However, my GSP after putting it in the tank was doing great, it was all the way open after about an hour but once the peppermint shrimp came over it got really upset. I saw the shrimp cleaning under the frag, it was really nasty like full of algae ( I made sure there were no hitchhikers before putting the corals in the tank). The shrimp would climb all over the top, and I could see little fleshy pieces flying around. My GSP does look noticeably cleaner but it is still closed. Earlier in the morning, the trochus snail was on it, and it seemed fine and popped right back. The shrimp doesn't seem interested now and is cleaning everything else

Should I take the peppermint shrimp back to my LFS or am I just over reacting lol

dwest · Nov 12, 2022

cowboycoyote said:
Hi! I recently just got my tank started and got a GSP and a mushroom, along with a CUC of Trochus snail and a peppermint shrimp. I asked my LFS if they were reef safe and they said yes. However, my GSP after putting it in the tank was doing great, it was all the way open after about an hour but once the peppermint shrimp came over it got really upset. I saw the shrimp cleaning under the frag, it was really nasty like full of algae ( I made sure there were no hitchhikers before putting the corals in the tank). The shrimp would climb all over the top, and I could see little fleshy pieces flying around. My GSP does look noticeably cleaner but it is still closed. Earlier in the morning, the trochus snail was on it, and it seemed fine and popped right back. The shrimp doesn't seem interested now and is cleaning everything else

Should I take the peppermint shrimp back to my LFS or am I just over reacting lol

The shrimp likely isn’t bothering the gsp too much. But if he has no other food, I’m guessing he could eat it. I would make sure the tank is fed well and monitor the gsp. I bet the shrimp can stay but they are always a risk.

HankstankXXL750 · Dec 10, 2022

Have to make sure you have a true peppermint shrimp. Look them up as there are many that lfs call peppermint including camel shrimp. Camels definitely bad, others that look like peppermint can pick also.

From what you said it sounds like the shrimp was doing it’s job, it may have bothered the GSP, but sounds like it opened back up so probably wasn’t harming it while it cleaned just bothered it. Plus it will close every night and reopened the next day.