Peppermints in refugium

scotty · 06-07-2002, 12:14 PM

Hey all,

I put a pair of peppermint shrimp in my refugium, hoping that they would give birth in there and: a) feed the main tank b) multiply so as to help limit my aiptasia... After I introduced them though I noticed that they were constantly on my caulerpa, picking and picking. Does anyone know if they are actually eating my caulerpa (which I don't want) or just scavenging debris off the caulerpa (which is fine). Any input is helpful. Thanks!!

Scotty

Sand Reef · 06-07-2002, 12:31 PM

I have one peppermint in my 20 refugium. I have never seen him pick at any of the feather or grape caulerpa.

v

scotty · 06-07-2002, 12:36 PM

Great. Thanks a lot. Do you keep your light on 24-7?

GSM · 06-07-2002, 12:42 PM

I personally wouldn't want peppermint shrimps in my refugium. They are major `pod predators. When I had a couple in my 45, they decimated the `pod population... Now that they are gone, I'm starting to see lots of `pods again.

Sand Reef · 06-07-2002, 12:52 PM

Scotty, actually, my refugium is my main tank, look at my tank specs. The lights are on a few hours during the day.

As far as pods are concerned, you should see when i drop in a shrimp pellet. There are tons of pods swarming over the food, and the peppermint shrimp is fighting with them over the pellet. I also have lots of white and black/gray brittle stars, bristleworms. the shrimp has eaten stars and worms on occasion but he has become trained to wait for me to drop in the shrimp pellets. I have had my tank setup for a year and the shrimp was introduced a couple months ago, so the pod population had time to establish itself in the tank, so the shrimp doesnt even affect their numbers at all. my .02

v

cyberchef · 06-07-2002, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sand Reef
As far as pods are concerned, you should see when i drop in a shrimp pellet.
v

V what are the "shrimp" pellets? I tried to find something along these lines for my peps in my one refugium and all i could find locally was Koi food in a pellet form. Thank you

Sand Reef · 06-07-2002, 01:28 PM

these are the shrimp pellets, don.

cyberchef · 06-07-2002, 01:32 PM

Thanks... I'll have to check with the other storees in the area and see if anyone has these or somethiong comperable.

OodleyBoodely · 06-07-2002, 04:51 PM

They are sold primarily in the fw sections of most fish stores. I also use them to occassionally feed my sandbed critters.