Peppermint shrimp attacking or cleaning coral?

[Kairus]

I've noticed lately my peppermint shrimp has been bothering some of my corals. He keeps going over to this one zoa and picking at it. The zoa always responds by closing up. I'm not sure if he's trying to clean it or pick at it to eat.

Well he was doing it again this morning and the zoa didn't look happy, so I threw him into my cichlid tank. I think he may have just been cleaning the coral, but I didn't want to take the risk considering my corals are worth much more than the $3 shrimp.

I have another peppermint in the tank somewhere, I'm not sure what to do with it.

[Crooked Reef]

More than likely it is picking food off of the zoa. Technically I would not say it is cleaning it though since cleaner shrimp clean dead tissue off of stuff. It appears that the zoa doesn't want to be picked at.

I wouldn't worry about the other shrimp unless you see the same behavior. They are individuals and this one could be fine. Just like some eat aiptasia and some won't touch it.

[Kairus]

More than likely it is picking food off of the zoa. Technically I would not say it is cleaning it though since cleaner shrimp clean dead tissue off of stuff. It appears that the zoa doesn't want to be picked at.

I wouldn't worry about the other shrimp unless you see the same behavior. They are individuals and this one could be fine. Just like some eat aiptasia and some won't touch it.

Ah. Certainly didn't seem like it was beneficial for the coral. My cichlids enjoyed him though.

Yeah I'm going to leave the other one alone unless I see him bothering the coral too.

[GroktheCube]

A few months ago I purchased 2 dozens peps for 120 to take of an aiptasia problem.

They didn't take care of the aiptasia problem, at all.

They did however, devour my Acan. Mine were ironically aiptasia safe, but not coral safe.

[BrokenReefer]

Are you sure that it's a "true" peppermint shrimp and not a camelback? I bought one that was advertised as a pepp; however, after having it in my tank and observing it "dancing" I have finally come to the conclusion that I was sold a camelback shrimp. Which are known to have a taste for the coral variety.

[MondoBongo]

Are you sure that it's a "true" peppermint shrimp and not a camelback? I bought one that was advertised as a pepp; however, after having it in my tank and observing it "dancing" I have finally come to the conclusion that I was sold a camelback shrimp. Which are known to have a taste for the coral variety.

i've seen camelbacks mislabeled many times in LFSs as peppermints...

[sugardaddy1979]

I just banished my 2 peppermint shrimp for attacking my Duncan. They are actually peps and not camels. Some individuals have been known to go after other fleshy LPS if not we'll fed.

[Mael]

I had one who would take the food out of the mouth of my acans, I moved the acans off the sand bed and on to a lower rock and the shrimp hasnt touched them since, possibly due to the fact the peps never seem to move more than an inch off sand level for me.

They did eat the 1 aptasia I ever had in the first night tho, so they did their job there.

[zamboni200000]

My peppermint shrimp ate coral if they weren't well fed 2-3 times a day. They ate acans, frogspawn, zoas, and others I can't even remember. They completely destroyed a few acan colonies! If you're not prepared to feed them all the time, get rid of em!

[zamboni200000]

And yes they were 'true' peppermint shrimp

[Mael]

yah, that could be another reason why mine dont seem to attack anything anymore, after I added fish I do multiple small feedings and I have seen them taking pellets off the sand bed the fish miss.