bluegrizzlies1
New member
Im having some aiptasia problem but I have read a pepermint shrimp will eat your hammer coral and others? looking for some answers here.
pepermint shrimp reef safe ?
- Thread starter bluegrizzlies1
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Tennyson
Active member
The answer to that is yes and no. It depends on who you ask. Most say they had no problems with peppermints and corals, but a couple of us (including me) say they are somewhat safe with corals.
I had one in my 46 gallon (it died of age) and it would pick at anything new into the tank besides anything that would swim away. But after it was done picking, it would stop, this is commonly what happens when a peppermint picks at a coral, they're just kind of roughly investigating.
Others though have had the problem where it will continuously pick at a coral usually at night, but I dont think its common since I've only heard of one person who has had this problem.
But overall, you shouldn't need to worry because they are pretty unlikely to start picking at corals every night, and if they did, it would probably just be on newly introduced corals. This is still not good, but it only lasts a very short time and the coral will recover.
I had one in my 46 gallon (it died of age) and it would pick at anything new into the tank besides anything that would swim away. But after it was done picking, it would stop, this is commonly what happens when a peppermint picks at a coral, they're just kind of roughly investigating.
Others though have had the problem where it will continuously pick at a coral usually at night, but I dont think its common since I've only heard of one person who has had this problem.
But overall, you shouldn't need to worry because they are pretty unlikely to start picking at corals every night, and if they did, it would probably just be on newly introduced corals. This is still not good, but it only lasts a very short time and the coral will recover.
bluegrizzlies1
New member
just I have started to see a bunch of patches of small aiptasia so Im looking for answers here
PedriCronje
New member
Ensure that you get actual peppermint shrimps and not camel shrimps. They are easily confused, and camel shrimps are NOT reef save.
Peppermint shrimps are reef safe.
Pedri
Peppermint shrimps are reef safe.
Pedri
bluegrizzlies1
New member
what is the easy way to tell between camel and pepermint
dragonette
Yes, its LIVE rock.
order from a site where they say they are 'true carribean pepp. shrimp" or they have a species name listed.
alot of LFS sell monsters that look like pepp. shrimp and they will tear your reef up.. and they are impossible to catch.
Jess
Guygettnby
Well-known member
peppermint shrimp are not reef safe. i had 5 in 1 of my reef tanks and as soon as the aiptasia was gone they were taken out of the tank. they will pick at your corals and anenome's.... mine even ate part of my BTA and frog spawn.
now on the other hand if you are not keeping soft corals and no anenome then there are perfectly fine. if you want to get them for the aptasia problem then go for it and as soon as the aptasia is gone then get rid of them. also remember that they are oppertunist feeders meaning if they are fed well by yu they will not eat the aptasia when there is other food present that taste better and they dont have to work for. so with that said i recomend slowing down the feeding of your tank and making sure the fish get fed but not the shrimp so they go for the aptasia and not fish food.
now on the other hand if you are not keeping soft corals and no anenome then there are perfectly fine. if you want to get them for the aptasia problem then go for it and as soon as the aptasia is gone then get rid of them. also remember that they are oppertunist feeders meaning if they are fed well by yu they will not eat the aptasia when there is other food present that taste better and they dont have to work for. so with that said i recomend slowing down the feeding of your tank and making sure the fish get fed but not the shrimp so they go for the aptasia and not fish food.
bluegrizzlies1
New member
any other way of getting rid of aptasia besides the shrimp method
I use Aiptasia Control from Blue Life, and sometimes Joes Juice to get rid of my aptasias (I don't trust peppermint shrimp with my corals).
Its a white liquid you apply directly to the aiptasia with a syringe. It helps if you turn off your pumps for an hour when you do this.
It doesn't always kill the aiptasias, so I have to apply it multiple times.
If your lfs doesn't have it, a lot of on-line stores do.
Its a white liquid you apply directly to the aiptasia with a syringe. It helps if you turn off your pumps for an hour when you do this.
It doesn't always kill the aiptasias, so I have to apply it multiple times.
If your lfs doesn't have it, a lot of on-line stores do.
El Camaron
New member
i got a peppermint shrimp a few weeks ago to take care of some aptasia i had, till this day i have not seen him pick or bother any coral at all, my GBTA is big enought that is it gets close enought it will snack on it and all of the aptasia i could see is gone. I say the are reef safe.
ewgthegreat
In Memoriam
I have a pepperment, 3 skunks and 3 blood all in a 25 gal reef with no fish and they get along fine.
Guygettnby
Well-known member
and you say they are reef safe after only having 1 for a few weeks...well i guess thats good enough for me:lol:
Guygettnby
Well-known member
htere are several differnt ways to kill aiptasia. alot of different companies make aiptasia removing chemicals that are injected with a syringe, but the only problem with that is you have to find and inject evey single one of them in order to clear them from your tank and sometimes that is very hard.
some people also have used different chemicals mixed together at home and they say those have worked. but i wouldnt trust it personally. the best thing that worked for me was the peppermint shrimp but the only bad part about adding them to your tank is trying to get them back out in the future...lol..
some people also have used different chemicals mixed together at home and they say those have worked. but i wouldnt trust it personally. the best thing that worked for me was the peppermint shrimp but the only bad part about adding them to your tank is trying to get them back out in the future...lol..
Lunabud74
Premium Member
I had a few peppermint for almost a year until the yellow candy hog (hog is gone) ate them and the cleaner and the fire shrimp. Never had a problem with them bothering the corals at all. Oh and I never had an aptasia problem. But then, I do feed pretty well and they will eat flake and pellet food. I have 7 in my 75 as well as 2 cleaners and a fire.
dragonette
Yes, its LIVE rock.
if your peppermint is eating your corals it is NOT a true peppermint shrimp. there are several breeds/crossbreeds sold at our LFS. most of them are not true pepp.s
I've had 2 peppermints for about a 1 1/2 years now as they were one of my first inhabitants(same problem as your, aiptasia). They to me are the best natural way to rid it and i fully appreciate mine to this day. I am just not a big chemical guy and plus to me I'm never going to see every single aiptasia in my tank.
While they don't destroy coral. they do like to pick "small" polyps from what i've read(and by small i mean ones you can barely see). Its funny that I've had xenia and GSP in my tank for almost the whole time and neither has grown out an inch all the while my zoos and mushrooms spread all over. So they will keep your grow-out in check in my experience but to me its worth the relief to know I don't have to sweat when I put coral-attached rock in my tank.
I also have 2 cleaners which started off smaller then the pepps and they are already the more dominant shrimp of the tank but nothing more then turf-battle. I guess they are the low-caste of the reef shrimp world.
While they don't destroy coral. they do like to pick "small" polyps from what i've read(and by small i mean ones you can barely see). Its funny that I've had xenia and GSP in my tank for almost the whole time and neither has grown out an inch all the while my zoos and mushrooms spread all over. So they will keep your grow-out in check in my experience but to me its worth the relief to know I don't have to sweat when I put coral-attached rock in my tank.
I also have 2 cleaners which started off smaller then the pepps and they are already the more dominant shrimp of the tank but nothing more then turf-battle. I guess they are the low-caste of the reef shrimp world.
Jay Fortay
Uber Member
I tested out a peppermint in my 29 this week to clear a couple little aiptasia. I say tested one out because I bought the biggest one that I thought was least likely to fit in my longnose hawk's mouth. Right away the hawk, named seersucker, showed great interest. Come morning, no shrimp in sight. He is either really good at hiding, or really tasty.
TRIED TO POST THIS LAST NITE... I have since seen hime hiding behind a powerhead
to bad there are no aiptasia back there.
TRIED TO POST THIS LAST NITE... I have since seen hime hiding behind a powerhead
to bad there are no aiptasia back there.
Chibils
halide loyalist
Mine are perfectly worthless. They have not touched my majano forest (if they even do eat majano), and that's my only control as far as I can tell because I can't reach them. They somehow grow on the side of a rock pressed up against the glass, where they get no light (and can't be reached). It's a support rock that can't be removed.
Guygettnby
Well-known member
i dont think peperment shrimp eat mojonos...they never ate any out of my tanks, the only thing they ate was the aiptasia. i could be wrong but that is just what i noticed in my tanks.
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