Peppermint Shrimp making trouble

[Calm Blue Ocean]

So I caught one of my peppermints eating a brand new birdsnest frag. For now I moved the coral to my other tank but I'm trying to figure out my long term options.

Right now the shrimp is in my 50g. Would she be comfortable in a 10g?

Would she get along with a porcelain crab and a pom pom crab (the only inhabitants of the nano right now). Those two are so comfortable in the tank I hate to turn their world upside down.

If I do move the shrimp to the nano, would it be best to bring her mate along or are we getting too crowded?

The 10g is full of corals but all ones she's been shown to be safe around before. Any other coral types that might be considered high risk for a peppermint who has a taste for Seriatopora? I'd like to avoid future expensive snacks.

I've had the shrimp a little over 10 months without issue. She's a proven aiptasia eater.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I think I'd add both peps to the 10g. Just make sure your feeding them plenty

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I think I'd add both peps to the 10g. Just make sure your feeding them plenty

Thanks for the advice! The two peppermints do get target fed regularly but apparently she was eating for 300 (they spawn regularly which is why I really want to keep them together). Good news is that when I moved them from my old system they were easy to catch. Hopefully that holds true!

 

[Seaspirit]

My peppermint shrimp Bubba cleaned a stylophora completely bare and will munch on anything similar. I watched him chow down before rescuing what was left of the coral (sigh). This is why I use Aptasia X instead of peppermints in the DT. I love Bubba’s personality but not his dietary preferences!

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

My peppermint shrimp Bubba cleaned a stylophora completely bare and will munch on anything similar. I watched him chow down before rescuing what was left of the coral (sigh). This is why I use Aptasia X instead of peppermints in the DT. I love Bubba’s personality but not his dietary preferences!

I suspect Stylophora would be lunch for Big Mama, too. But like you, I do enjoy her personality. She'll clean your hands if you put them in the tank and she's a really hard worker. But unless it's a fish only tank she will likely be the last peppermint I get, even though she did an awesome job on the aiptasia.

 

[Alexopora]

So I caught one of my peppermints eating a brand new birdsnest frag. For now I moved the coral to my other tank but I'm trying to figure out my long term options.

Right now the shrimp is in my 50g. Would she be comfortable in a 10g?

Would she get along with a porcelain crab and a pom pom crab (the only inhabitants of the nano right now). Those two are so comfortable in the tank I hate to turn their world upside down.

If I do move the shrimp to the nano, would it be best to bring her mate along or are we getting too crowded?

The 10g is full of corals but all ones she's been shown to be safe around before. Any other coral types that might be considered high risk for a peppermint who has a taste for Seriatopora? I'd like to avoid future expensive snacks.

I've had the shrimp a little over 10 months without issue. She's a proven aiptasia eater.

I have stayed away from peopermints since I never had to deal with Aiptasia and I heard horror stories about them. But using my sexy shrimps as an example (yes these guys will snack on corals), they love to target seriatopora, pocis, stylos and acros. But for acros, its only if the acro is already weak or is a new acro. But sexies are small and they can’t handle strong flow. So the solution is to just ramp up the flow for your sps. And make sure they are extremely well fed.

 

[Alexopora]

I suspect Stylophora would be lunch for Big Mama, too. But like you, I do enjoy her personality. She'll clean your hands if you put them in the tank and she's a really hard worker. But unless it's a fish only tank she will likely be the last peppermint I get, even though she did an awesome job on the aiptasia.

It seems that shrimps do have a taste for pocilloporidae family.

 

[Smirkish]

I lost a Favia to sand at one point from my clowns constantly digging. When the coral started to recede is the only time I noticed my peppermint shrimp messing with it. They literally ate the dying tissue and then left it alone. The frag was fairly fresh cut and I really should have kept it away from the clowns. I didn’t realize how quickly the sand could harm it, and I wound up moving it too late.

I’ve watched them closely on my other corals and noticed more often they are stealing food the coral catches than actually feeding on them in my tank. I’ve had an Emerald Crab pull damaged and dying tentacles off of a Duncan before too, and eat it- but it clearly seemed to know what tissue was dead and what wasn’t. The damaged tentacles didn’t retract like the rest, and came off easily. The coral actually looked better after the crab finished and it opened again.

There are days when not as much food makes it down to the bottom without my diamond goby gobbling it up first, and I see them get aggressive with their thieving. They will even steal from anemone if they can’t find anything else close by, but so far I haven’t had them intentionally feed on coral as a primary food source.

No issues with my crab and peppermints- they hang out under ledges and just zip away if the crab decides he wants to hang out there. Target feed if you are concerned they will mess with the coral. They are scavengers, and will make a meal of whatever they can if there isn’t anything readily available. I wish mine would eat Xenia lol.