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View Full Version : Peppermint shrimp picking at coral help!?


njp14333
11/06/2009, 10:46 AM
I just picked up a peppermint shrimp for my 28HQI Nano-Cube the other day and today I saw it picking on my euphylia (spelling?) coral and one of the branches' polyp's were completely contracted as he picked away at it. Anyway I also realized there's two different kinds of peppermint shrimp, one that's a cold water one, is nocturnal, and eats corals (Lysmata californica) and the other kind is the tropical one that only "sometimes" picks at a certain couple of coral species (Lysmata wurdemanni) and that is the one you want to have. But my question is how do I make sure I don't have the bad one (Lysmata californica)? Also is my tank going to be ok with him in there even if it is the "good kind" (Lysmata wurdemanni) , because like i said I saw him picking at a coral and it's the daytime? Thanks and sorry for the rambling, I'm just so worried.

Anemone0524
11/06/2009, 10:50 AM
not sure about the good kind vs bad kind...

but my peppermint shrimp 100% will eat euphylia. I'm simply biding my time until the Skunk Cleaner in my tank finds the Pep, and kills him.

njp14333
11/06/2009, 11:09 AM
So if I buy a slightly larger skunk cleaner (or blood red?) will it kill the peppermint shrimp?

Mr.leee
11/06/2009, 11:59 AM
+1 when peppermint shrimp are hunger they will eat some corals...

Guygettnby
11/06/2009, 12:26 PM
you can always make a trap for it and return it to the LFS for some credit. for a tank as small as yours i wouldnt think caturing it would be that hard.

njp14333
11/06/2009, 03:39 PM
how do i make a trap?

dwculp
11/06/2009, 03:47 PM
I swear, peppermint shrimp are the most voracious creatues in the sea, they will eat anything. If peppermint shrimp grew to 6 feet in length they would devour the earth. I got rid of mine and will never have anymore!

romsoccer12
11/06/2009, 03:56 PM
peppermint shrimp are reef safe, and will sometimes steal food from corals what makes it seem like they are stealing it. there are camel shrimp that look very closely to them that arent reef safe though.

njp14333
11/06/2009, 04:26 PM
peppermint shrimp are reef safe, and will sometimes steal food from corals what makes it seem like they are stealing it. there are camel shrimp that look very closely to them that arent reef safe though.

No its not a camel shrimp. I've seen those before, its diffinently a peppermint shrimp, thank you tho. So your saying my Euphylia simply had food in it's tentacles and the shrimp was eating that, not the coral itself?

Nanook
11/06/2009, 04:36 PM
Just an observation.

I notice a lot of threads across RC where the invertebrates are blamed for eating corals, fish, etc, etc. I think a lot of folks buy these massive cleanup crews and then expect them to pick at the rock, eat fishpoop, eat whatever they can find, etc. Unfortunately, many inverts can not survive on fishpoop, nor will they eat it. In addition, the leftover food from the fish is often not enough.

I think there are many folks that feed so sparingly and seldomly around here, that their fish and inverts are malnourished and starving. If you were an invert in your tank, what would you eat?? If you were a starving invert in your tank, would you try to eat a fish, or coral so you didn't die of starvation???

I know I would eat whatever I could to survive So, give your inverts a well deserved meal, throw some shrimp pellets, frozen food or sinking pellets in your tank at night...let them have a snack and maybe they won't eat your prized corals

This has been a Nanookian Public Service Announcement (NPSA).

njp14333
11/07/2009, 08:53 AM
good idea ill try some shrimp (ironic, huh?) pellets tonight.

njp14333
11/07/2009, 08:58 AM
haha i just threw one pellet in now and within 30 seconds he was on it, thanks Nanook!

roblack
11/07/2009, 09:23 AM
Nanook has a good point. Same thing with a lot of tangs, if not fed enough they will start nipping at and eating some corals. However, many shrimp are not good to keep with corals that you spot feed, such as much lps. They learn to get food from the corals (regardless of how much they are fed IME), and over time can make the jump from stealing food from the coral to the coral being the food. Because I spot feed my lps, shrimp are not welcome, except for maybe a harlequin or two to clear out these asterinas.

SPStoner
11/07/2009, 09:40 AM
just an observation.

I notice a lot of threads across rc where the invertebrates are blamed for eating corals, fish, etc, etc. I think a lot of folks buy these massive cleanup crews and then expect them to pick at the rock, eat fishpoop, eat whatever they can find, etc. Unfortunately, many inverts can not survive on fishpoop, nor will they eat it. In addition, the leftover food from the fish is often not enough.

I think there are many folks that feed so sparingly and seldomly around here, that their fish and inverts are malnourished and starving. If you were an invert in your tank, what would you eat?? If you were a starving invert in your tank, would you try to eat a fish, or coral so you didn't die of starvation???

I know i would eat whatever i could to survive so, give your inverts a well deserved meal, throw some shrimp pellets, frozen food or sinking pellets in your tank at night...let them have a snack and maybe they won't eat your prized corals

this has been a nanookian public service announcement (npsa).

amen!

njp14333
11/07/2009, 10:20 AM
Anyways tho, I still would like to get this shrimp out and return him if possible. How can I build a trap or where can I buy one? Thanks.

njp14333
11/08/2009, 08:35 AM
bump. Anyone know about a shrimp trap??

lordofthereef
11/08/2009, 08:46 AM
Will he come to you when you put some food in the tank? I know mine always floated up to the top whenever I fed the tank (even just sticking my hand in there). I also eventually caught them ripping at corals so I removed them with a net. I did a google search on shrimp traps and others have had my same experience.

Chihuahua6
11/08/2009, 09:14 AM
I was also going to recommend some sinking shrimp pellets. I had one that would occasionally eat some gsp. I figured he wasn't getting enough food since the fish gobbled it up before it got to him. Pellets a few times per week kept him from eating the polyps.

roblack
11/08/2009, 11:08 AM
If they are bold and hungry, at night with lights out entice out with some food and see if you can gently net them. If they are elusive, place a glass or jar with fishing line tied to it on the bottom of the tank near where the shrimp live. Place some meaty food at the bottom of the glass, weigh it down if necessary. Check periodically and pull out when you hit the jackpot. If all else fails, get a nice trigger or harlequin tusk fish. J/K, you can catch em.

Anemonebuff
11/08/2009, 11:26 AM
not sure about the good kind vs bad kind...

but my peppermint shrimp 100% will eat euphylia. I'm simply biding my time until the Skunk Cleaner in my tank finds the Pep, and kills him.


Good luck. I have two skunk cleaners living in harmony with the peppermint. I agree that target feeding the pep will do wonders if it is picking on corals.