Do Peps eat Acans?

[Uncle99]

So I watched thus video today and the poster stated that "if you have a peppermint shrimp it's only a matter time before he eats your Acans.

Can anyone second that? I have never heard that one before. While in captivity, anything is possible, I have not run into that situation.

Curious of any feedback/experience.....

 

[jbfloor]

Mine did. Caught the little b*st*rd red handed and banished him to my sump.

 

[Uncle99]

Mine did. Caught the little b*st*rd red handed and banished him to my sump.

Thanks for the quick response!
Bad news for the pep, especially when he cleared the DT of aptasia....

 

[jbfloor]

See this post about my peppermint-Acan misadventures

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21687946&postcount=124

 

[MondoBongo]

i've never had any issues with peps eating anything they weren't supposed to.

 

[Uncle99]

i've never had any issues with peps eating anything they weren't supposed to.

I agree so far, he's now a couple if years old now, 2 inches but no problems.

I assume that "supposed to list" does not included Acans?

Maybe a hit or miss thing, sure hope it's a miss thing for me, I keep a lot of ultra A's

Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[Uncle99]

See this post about my peppermint-Acan misadventures

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=21687946&postcount=124

Thanks so much Jbfloor, interesting the taste was for the Lords, and nothing else.

Can't prove mine attacked one of seven Lords I keep. Had this one for 5 years, not best colour but polyps huge. Then, about a week ago it did not inflate, has been that way for a week, and at the same time I seen this video.

The other 6 Acans have not been touched, nor has any other of the 50 or so LPS.

Like you, all I can do is watch carefully.

Nice glass trick....that's again

 

[crawlerman]

There are a few other shrimp that look very similar that are sold as peppermints that are not reef safe. I often wonder if that is the problem because my peppermints have never bothered any corals in my 20 years of reef keeping. Last two years have been shrimpless and crabless due to rogue malanurus. Bastard ate over $100 worth of shrimp in a few days once he got the taste, and that included 6 peppermints I had for a while.

 

[Dmorty217]

I have read about this before but like crawlerman mentioned it could be shrimp that were sold as peppermints that actually aren't

 

[Uncle99]

I have read about this before but like crawlerman mentioned it could be shrimp that were sold as peppermints that actually aren't

I never though of that!
Thanks to you both

 

[MondoBongo]

I agree so far, he's now a couple if years old now, 2 inches but no problems.

I assume that "supposed to list" does not included Acans?

Maybe a hit or miss thing, sure hope it's a miss thing for me, I keep a lot of ultra A's

Thank you for sharing your experience.

yeah my acans and other LPS were safe. open brains, blastos, etc... never any problems with my softies (mostly just some random shrooms) and SPS.

they did a good job on my aiptasia.

i've seen a couple theories presented about this before. some people say it's a case of mis-identification, and that they're not actual peppermint shrimp, but rather camel back shrimp.

i've definitely seen camel backs mislabeled as peps before, but i don't know how often this happens.

if you're feeding your corals at all it could also be possible that the shrimp are just enthusiastically trying to retrieve food, and end up hurting the corals by accident? i've definitely had them pilfer a meal before.

lastly, and probably most plausible, maybe there are just some shrimp out there that are total jerks.

Last two years have been shrimpless and crabless due to rogue malanurus. Bastard ate over $100 worth of shrimp in a few days once he got the taste, and that included 6 peppermints I had for a while.

sounds like when i see shrimp cocktail on the all-you-can-eat buffet. ha!

 

[Uncle99]

yeah my acans and other LPS were safe. open brains, blastos, etc... never any problems with my softies (mostly just some random shrooms) and SPS.

they did a good job on my aiptasia.

i've seen a couple theories presented about this before. some people say it's a case of mis-identification, and that they're not actual peppermint shrimp, but rather camel back shrimp.

i've definitely seen camel backs mislabeled as peps before, but i don't know how often this happens.

if you're feeding your corals at all it could also be possible that the shrimp are just enthusiastically trying to retrieve food, and end up hurting the corals by accident? i've definitely had them pilfer a meal before.

lastly, and probably most plausible, maybe there are just some shrimp out there that are total jerks.



sounds like when i see shrimp cocktail on the all-you-can-eat buffet. ha!

Thank you for this great response. I would agree that sometimes anything is possible. I'm OK taking the risk of leaving him, but, under careful watch.

Yup, me as well on the Aptasia, that why he was originally put in.

Yes, yes I feed my corals, through small broadcasts of phyto and zoo, once a week I target feed.....Hum....I see your idea there....interesting.....and certainly possible.

I know for certain it's not a camelback. Definite Pep.

Thanks again for this experience, based on what I am reading, the risk seems low, I think I should just go forward and watch

Steve

 

[jbfloor]

I agree that not all pepperminst do it. Early on I had a peppermint and Acans that got along fine. When I added two more, the Acans bit the dust.

I have decided to stay away from peppermints and just add skunk cleaner shrimp instead. Never had a problem with them and my flame angel likes to be cleaned.

 

[Dine]

I had peps that we're doing exactly as described above: aggressively seeking food in some of my softies and doing damage in the process. I witnessed it on several occasions.


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[marzvt]

Good to know, I was planning on getting some for aiptasia. I have I filefish but it only goes on one side of the tank hand he has developed a taste for zoanthids so he is going to be gone soon