Peppermint Shrimp

Bruce Wayne · Feb 23, 2009

One of my acan frags I got 4-5 months ago has grown plenty of heads and is on a bigger rock (I drilled a hole for the frag plug). I saw it today and for the first time in a very long time I could see a lot of the frag plug, there was a pep shrimp picking at it...I even saw the skeleton on the biggest head...my other corals seem ok (1 other acan in the tank) There are 4 pep shrimps in the tank and they are good sized (2.5 inches or so)...anyone have similar experiences? thanks...

chipcount · Feb 23, 2009

i have had peppermint shrimps that have really aggravated my lps especially during feeding. I ended up getting rid of them because they were ruthless to my duncans for a while

Bruce Wayne · Feb 23, 2009

yup...same here, actually the cleaner shrimp is the worst...

Letsgotothezoo · Feb 23, 2009

Why you keep so many peppermint shrimp ?

Does you tank has that many aptasias ?:angel:

Bruce Wayne · Feb 23, 2009

I used to have aptasias and had to get them, this time I just got them as like a clean up crew/precaution...dumb move...

ficklefins · Feb 23, 2009

I had peppermint shrimp in the past and after having a few of them develop a taste for peppermint shrimp tentacles I decided I would never do it again. BTW, they were clipping tentacles off the anemone even when I wasn't feeding the BTA.

gparr · Feb 23, 2009

This is interesting. SaraB mentioned the other day that she had heard about peppermints irritating corals. I have three skunk cleaners and a peppermint in my 65 and haven't noticed any problems. I've had peppermint shrimp in the past and never had a problem. I'll have to watch closer.
Gary

droblack · Feb 23, 2009

Shrimp and crabs evil!

ecotoxlady · Feb 23, 2009

Yep, unfortunately I've found that peppermint shrimps can be really bad around LPS of any kind but especially the "meaty" kinds like acans.

Rychek · Feb 24, 2009

I've watched peppermint shrimp eat my zoas. Pulled the frag polyps right off the plug. I pulled them out before I added any LPS though.

Saltysteele · Feb 24, 2009

i don't know guys, those sound a lot more like camels, than pepp's. the only way i'd believe a pepp would do it, is if the corals was dead, or had was eating (in which case they're trying to steal the food, not kill or bother the coral).

camels, on the other hand. nasty little devils, and look almost exactly the same. actually i have personally seen them being sold as pepp's (not on purpose, just believe the lfs didn't know the difference)

gparr · Feb 24, 2009

Thanks Salty. I've never seen peppermints in my tanks bother any corals. I've not owned camel shrimp because they are known to be destructive.

Peppermint shrimp

Camel shrimp