Are Peppermint Shrimp "reef safe"?

[Mighty Dread]

I have a small frag of some pulsating xenia and I thought over the past couple of days that it was dying because it looked kinda shrunken and unhealthy. All my water parameters have been O.K. - so I did not know why the coral was "dying". Today I was doing some work in the tank and what did I see...? My one lone peppermint shrimp ripping pieces of the xenia off!!!!! When this shrimp was sold it was advertised as "reef safe". But obviously it is NOT! I moved the xenia to a new spot but I know as soon as the lights go off the stupid shrimp will be back to picking at the coral.
I am considering getting rid of the shrimp....what should I do? I don't want it to destroy my xenia or any other corals now, or in the future!

 

[dcombs44]

It has been said that peppermints can be unsafe in the reef environment, but from the reading I've done, peppermints are often confused with camel shrimp. Make sure you know what you have first.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=690

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=701

 

[Mighty Dread]

No. It is a peppermint for sure.
I guess I should maybe banish it to the refugium.....

 

[Sk8r]

Peps can take after xenia [rarely] and yellow star polyp---the latter is related to aiptasia, or smells like it; mine has once nipped a polyp off a pocillopora, but never since, nor does it bother any other coral, and I've had it with xenia, which was [briefly] a target: it's a pretty smelly critter, and may attract the shrimp that way. Offer it some sinking pellet or a piece of shrimp, and it may give up its fixation on the xenia.

 

[Blazer88]

I wish my peppermints would eat xenia and GSP I can't find a way to get rid of it other wise.

 

[DrBegalke]

Nice icon Blazer88

 

[somethingphishy]

no probs w/ pepermints and my reef--- xenia included

 

[Mighty Dread]

I guess my peppermint was just feeling a little blood thirsty. I will give him one more chance until........

 

[thor32766]

yeah i have a couple and they never touch anything. they have been great reef inhabitants.

 

[Blazer88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8360595#post8360595 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBegalke
Nice icon Blazer88

Thanks, he's been with me since the beginning (almost two years now).

 

[AquaReeferMan]

Yeah I have never had a problem with my peps. Ive been housing them ever since I got into this hobby.