I thought peppermint shrimp were reef safe?

[SterlingP]

So my lights shut off and my evening led light comes on and all my peppermint shrimp come zooming out. Two of sat on the rock near a sun coral ( I think)

Anyways watching them for a little bit all of a sudden the one rushed to the coral thought maybe he was cleaning something off or stealing a piece of shrimp the coral was saving for later. But he ripped off a tentacle.

Removed the coral. Gave it to my room mate. But should I worry about other corals? Tank will be pretty much dedicated to my green hadonni and platinum clowns. But some corals are nice to see. I'm wondering too tho, my Kenya tree has had the polyps closed for the last few days. Still pretty extended but wondering if the shrimp like that too...

On the plus side all the aptasia is gone.

Anyone have experience with peppermint shrimp eating corals?


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[DreadCapn]

Yeah, loads of people - from what I've read, the issue seems to be that there are several different types of shrimp commonly sold as Peppermint Shrimp:

1) Camelback Shrimp (Rhynchocinetes uritai), which aren't reef safe and look kind of like Peppermint Shrimp

2) "True" Peppermint Shrimp which are comprised of 5-6 different species of Lysmata.


Anecdotally, it sounds like at least one, but not all, species of Lysmata is reef safe.

 

[SterlingP]

Any idea which one I have?


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[SterlingP]

Looks like a Lysmata wurdemanni from pictures when I google it.

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[lapin]

Maybe the term "reef safe" is like the term "deer safe". If I could just get those deer to read the list of what they are not supposed to eat.

 

[SterlingP]

Maybe the term "reef safe" is like the term "deer safe". If I could just get those deer to read the list of what they are not supposed to eat.

Maybe. Should of done a bit more reading maybe before I introduced these shrimp. I just hope they stay away from the carpet anemone. Then again easy fix if the carpet eats em


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[jurgenph]

my peppermints thought the ricordeas were aiptasia i guess... they ate 'em.
i will not put peppermint shrink in my tank anymore


J.

 

[Reefpuck]

Doesn't look like a camelback... which is good.

Like with everything else in this hobby... it's hit or miss what you're gonna get.

 

[SterlingP]

So far leaving the rest of my corals alone... finger crossed


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[Softhammer]

Feed them, you should be able to get them eating virtually anything. However if your tank is fairly new and light on the plankton, you're leaving them no choice but to eat fleshy corals.

 

[SterlingP]

Tank ain't all that new. I have very nice pod collection and a nice fug I'm assuming that he plankton would be good, I only have four of them in my tank.with a tuxedo urchin. My only clean up crew. I ghost feed the tank as it's sitting fallow. I do see them collecting mysis. I will try and feed them more. Anything I can do to increase my tanks production of plankton for them?


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