What will peppermint shrimp eat?

[SLPReefer]

I think that I am going to get a peppermint shrimp to eat my aiptasia, but I wanted to make sure it will not eat anything that I still want in my aquarium. I have some tube worms, a couple baby brittle stars, some sort of filter feeder that looks like a balloon with two holes in it, some feather dusters and some spaghetti worms. Does anyone know if peppermint shrimp will eat any of these or anything else that I might want in my aquarium?

[Sizzlersonthebrain]

mine eats anything i feed the sish but have never seen it eating any coral or other inverts.

[is_that_a_fish]

they will eat aiptasia but will also eat flakes and other stuff once there isnt any aiptasia left. they will also scavenge

[ZEKESTER]

Yeah mine eat what ever fish food is floating by them. Never seen them bother any corals though.

[capman]

Originally Posted by is_that_a_fish

they will eat aiptasia but will also eat flakes and other stuff once there isnt any aiptasia left. they will also scavenge

They will not wait until the Aiptasia are gone to eat these other things. They might actually eat the other foods preferentially.

[capman]

Originally Posted by SLPReefer

I think that I am going to get a peppermint shrimp to eat my aiptasia, but I wanted to make sure it will not eat anything that I still want in my aquarium. I have some tube worms, a couple baby brittle stars, some sort of filter feeder that looks like a balloon with two holes in it, some feather dusters and some spaghetti worms. Does anyone know if peppermint shrimp will eat any of these or anything else that I might want in my aquarium?

They can be pretty voraceous feeders that will eat lots of things. However, as others have said, they are unlikely to bother any of your corals. I have not seen them bother tube worms. I don't think they are likely to eat brittle stars. The "balloon"-like filter feeder with two holes sounds like a tunicate, and I suspect it will be safe. Spaghetti worm will probably be OK, but I'm not certain.

They might tend to de-populate your tank of some small critters a bit though. However, peppermint shrimp are also very cool critters in their own right....so cool that they would be worthy of a tank just set up for them.

If they are well fed their impact on tank critters will likely be less, though maybe you don't want to feed them really heavily fed until your Aiptasia are eaten? (but don't try to starve them)

By the way, they are cooler if you keep them in groups. They are sometimes a lot more active and visible when there is a group of them.

Also, you will get to see reproduction if you keep them in groups. Like their close relatives the skunk cleaner shrimp, they are hermaphrodites. Any two individuals will function as a pair. Each time a given shrimp molts the other one will normally mate with it, and the just-molted shrimp (which received sperm from the other) will then lay eggs that it will carry on its swimmerettes until the eggs hatch (and each individual will periodically be seen carrying eggs on a regular basis). They release the young at night, and you will periodically get to see the larval shrimp swimming around in your tank (until they either get eaten, get sucked into pumps, or die of starvation).

[HFG]

They will clean your fingers if you let them Depending on the size of your tank 1 will not be enough. They are like a royal gramma in that they find a home they like and poke out to grab food. Though I have seen them crusing the tanks at night.

[maxseeley]

Most of the time they are ok - but they have some risk. I had one reef that had peppermint shrimp in it. I put a bubble tip aneome in the tank and the shrimp immediatly started tearing off its tenticales - needless to say, I pulled the aneome out right away.

[Petunia]

Peppermint shrimp are wonderful and friendly little critters. I loved mine, and plan on getting another one. Mine took care of all the smaller sized aptasia I had in my tank. He loved the fresh meat, and I hand fed him this. Like everyone else has stated... it shouldn't bother any corals in your tank and, they are a benificial creature to add to a tank.

[Petunia]

Capman, thanks for the info. I'm gonna get a pair when I get the 30 gallon up-to-par. It will be cool to watch the eggs hatch and swim around.

Max, sorry to hear that your peppermint shrimp did that. That makes me leary of putting a bubble tip in my 30 gallon. How big is the tank that you had them both in?

[maxseeley]

Max, sorry to hear that your peppermint shrimp did that. That makes me leary of putting a bubble tip in my 30 gallon. How big is the tank that you had them both in?

Long time ago - 125 gallon

In general, it has been my experience that peppermint shrimp are the only animals that eat aptasia in a realiable fashion. I have had bad luck with Copperbands not eating them and nudibrachs (sp?) don't last in most reef tanks (end up in pumps or sucked into the overflows). So if you have aptasia, I would not hesitate to put them in. A couple of picked over corals are better then a tank full of aptasia. But that being said, peppermints are one of the most dangerous "reef safe" shrimp. I have heard reports from other people about peppermint shrimp being extremly distructive (reliable sources). The only bad experience I have had is the one listed above - but I keep my reefs pretty well fed. I also have peppermints in all of my reefs.

[JnS]

peppermint shrimp are fine in reefs, never had one mess with anything.

camel shrimp on the other hand look similar peppermints but are non reef safe.

[EMX002]

so for a 90 Gallon Tank that is starting to show alot of Glass Anenomes how many peppermints should I get.

Loads of live rock and hiding places one yellow tang,6 Chrmois,2 fire shrimps and 4 soft corals.


How many should I go for to start off.

4,6,8.... ?


Juan

[wesley]

I've got four in my 40 and I haven't seen an aip since I put them in. Granted, I also did kalk squirts when I did see them, but that wasn't completely killing them before. I often see them picking for pods but they really go nuts when I feed flake, don't seem to notice/care much for frozen foods. FWIW I have boat-loads of spaghetti worms, tube worms, bristle worms sponges, turnicates(sp?), etc. I don't see them much except for when I feed flake or if I look around with a flash light at night.

[oyam123]

Welcome to eTropicals.com!

I got some coming in on Tuesday. Get Lg ones if you can. My wrasses had a 5pc shrimp mealdeal last time I added some very small ones.