Catching Peppermint Shrimp

[pt3003]

Hi All,

I was wonder if anyone can give me tips on catching a peppermint shrimp. My peppermint shrimp has been picking on my sps and damaged one of my acans. I know it isn't a camel shrimp.

I tried the bottle technique and used either pellets I normally feed my fish and recent tried brine shrimp however that little bugger is too smart...

Does anyone else have any other tips before I go crazy.

Thanks!

[Sk8r]

Hold a piece of raw shrimp in your cupped hand and stay absolutely still. The shrimp will usually come to you. Close your hand gently and transfer him to the sump. [welcome]

And usually they calm down. I've lost a few sps polyps to them, but never had serious damage once they tasted it and decided it wasn't nicer than mysis or aiptasia. They tend to be curious about things but don't often remain a problem.

[pt3003]

Hold a piece of raw shrimp in your cupped hand and stay absolutely still. The shrimp will usually come to you. Close your hand gently and transfer him to the sump. <img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

And usually they calm down. I've lost a few sps polyps to them, but never had serious damage once they tasted it and decided it wasn't nicer than mysis or aiptasia. They tend to be curious about things but don't often remain a problem.

Thanks :) Hmm what kind of raw shrimp should I use?

I read a lot of stories about peppermint shrimp eating and killing corals...Its weird because I've had a reef tank and a peppermint shrimp in a for maybe a half a year. One day I bought an Acan and a week after the frag fully bleached and died. I thought it was my water parameters and just ended up thinking I bought the wrong Acan. After I got my Bird of Paradise, it started crawling and picking at it. I don't know if it is actually eating it...but I don't want to lose another coral.

[TimeConsumer]

I had a royal dottyback take down a coral banded shrimp and several peppermints. So if you want to add one of those they could solve your problems. But they can also be little demons.

[pt3003]

I had a royal dottyback take down a coral banded shrimp and several peppermints. So if you want to add one of those they could solve your problems. But they can also be little demons.

Prefer not to add anymore fishes. I am trying the bottle technique again for tonight...hopefully I catch that little smartypants.

[TimeConsumer]

Prefer not to add anymore fishes. I am trying the bottle technique again for tonight...hopefully I catch that little smartypants.

I 100% understand. Bottle method works, but sometimes you have to leave it there for a couple of days. They are nervous of new additions.

[Jone]

get a fish that eat shrimp,,some wrasses or other kind..

[weiser5150]

I totally understand where you are coming from OP.I recently had a peppermint that was nipping at an RFA and now it is gone.I was able to catch one of the the two peppermint shrimp using a plastic bottle technique where i placed some pellets in the sand and when the shrimp came to eat them i slowly lowered the bottle over the top of it.I then slide another piece of plastic under the bottle and he was captured.The second peppermint I havent been so lucky with.

[pt3003]

get a fish that eat shrimp,,some wrasses or other kind..

Like I said, I rather not introduce anymore fishes to be tank just to get ride of something and take it out again.

I tried the bottle technique again last night again with brine shrimp...no luck. I feel like that bugger is getting smarter every day...I will try placing pellets in the sand and trapping it tonight.

[sde1500]

I had a royal dottyback take down a coral banded shrimp and several peppermints. So if you want to add one of those they could solve your problems. But they can also be little demons.

Lol that reminds me of some sort of cold war style escalation. Get rid of a crazy tank resident by adding something more crazy.

[Sk8r]

I have been desperate enough to take a reef apart three times in my career, to extract 3 species: a) a dottyback b) a ghost eel and c) a pistol shrimp.

[cloak]

I've had to catch quite a few of these from my tank before and I just used a stick and a net. Once I was able to get behind the shrimp with the stick it was pretty easy to wrangle it into the net. Don't expect to catch it the first time though. Just walk away from the tank and try again later. You might have to throw a few flakes into the tank to lure out the shrimp, but just keep trying throughout the day. Eventually you'll get him. GL.

[pt3003]

I've had to catch quite a few of these from my tank before and I just used a stick and a net. Once I was able to get behind the shrimp with the stick it was pretty easy to wrangle it into the net. Don't expect to catch it the first time though. Just walk away from the tank and try again later. You might have to throw a few flakes into the tank to lure out the shrimp, but just keep trying throughout the day. Eventually you'll get him. GL.

Great, thanks for the advice. I will try this tonight but I feel like that bugger is smart enough to run under and behind rocks when I get near him....

I honestly might have to move my corals and rocks out to another tank to catch him...

[cloak]

Yeah, catching these things can be definitely be a little tedious, but sooner or later you'll get him. Being able to get behind the shrimp with that stick will be key. GL

On a side note; how big is your tank? If it's relatively small the High & Dry method outlined in the link below might work. Once the water level reaches a certain point they start to panic and all logic goes out the window. Hiding is not a priority anymore.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/sp/index.php

[pt3003]

Yeah, catching these things can be definitely be a little tedious, but sooner or later you'll get him. Being able to get behind the shrimp with that stick will be key. GL

On a side note; how big is your tank? If it's relatively small the High & Dry method outlined in the link below might work. Once the water level reaches a certain point they start to panic and all logic goes out the window. Hiding is not a priority anymore.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/sp/index.php

That is an interesting read. I will have to look into that however it is a 75gallon. Trying to bottle technique again for tonight...hope it gets him...