Peppermint shrimp with an appetite for snails?

[Aspiring Tank Guru]

Has anyone ever heard of peppermint shrimp eating snails? I have one that appears to have developed an appetite for snails, particularly trochus. He picks at nassarius as well but he flips trochus over and picks at their flesh. I was under the impression that they were completely reef safe, so has anyone else experienced anything similar? Or did I end up with a mutant peppermint shrimp?

 

[rich nyc]

no. i would trade it in at your lfs

 

[wkscott]

no. i would trade it in at your lfs

Trading in "problem" creatures (unless you bought it without proper research, and it's doing what comes natural) is kind of unethical. The store is just going to sell it to another unsuspecting reefer. How would you like to get that shrimp as your next purchase?
I would either do without snails (which I wouldn't) or I would catch that shrimp, chop him up, and feed him to the tank.

 

[Aspiring Tank Guru]

First of all, no LFS around here so I got it from Live Aquaria. Second, he doesn't doesn't do it consistently and it's really only a problem with the trochus. So I think I may hold off on getting any more trochus for now. I was just curious if this behavior was normal.

 

[wkscott]

First of all, no LFS around here so I got it from Live Aquaria. Second, he doesn't doesn't do it consistently and it's really only a problem with the trochus. So I think I may hold off on getting any more trochus for now. I was just curious if this behavior was normal.

Not normal at all. They will however go after dead or dying snails as will crabs, sea stars, and many fish.

 

[3mm3]

I had a scarlet cleaner shrimp that would do the same thing. His favorite was stomatella snails and bristle worms.
I think shrimp are like everything else in a sense you can have a model citizen or the complete opposite.

 

[rich nyc]

Good point wkscott