Peppermint shrimp eating corals

[fastjunkie]

Anyone else have this issue? I've noticed after I added a few to my 125 to help with an aptasia problem that my acans were starting to die off one head at a time to the point where non of my colonies were opening. I had my suspicions as I have read some peppermint shrimp will eat or pic at corals. Well today it was confirmed....caught one in the act as he was eating half way through one of my acans. Luckily I was able to snatched them up and add them to my refugium.....just a heads up to anyone thinking of adding a few to keep a close eye on them

 

[Calappidae]

I haven't experienced peppermint shrimp attacking corals. Infact what I have seen is inverts scavenging off dying corals, whether that's the case here we don't know.

 

[fastjunkie]

I've heard that too....but I can't see all of my acans colonies dying and that being the reason they were eating on them

 

[Fish Biscuit]

Mine have stolen food from my corals so I feed some shrimp pellets before I feed the tank for the morning or I add extra NLS pellets to what I have soaking in Selcon for them.

 

[cloak]

I had a peppermint shrimp go rouge on a small favia frag one time. This coral was as healthy as could be when I got it, but by the next morning it was picked clean.. Also, every now & then my Laptastrea looks like something has been picking at it too. It always seems to bounce back though.

I also caught my peppermint shrimp eating the small stomatella snails in my tank too btw. :thumbdown

 

[Calappidae]

I also caught my peppermint shrimp eating the small stomatella snails in my tank too btw. :thumbdown

Actually this reminds that I witnessed a peppermint shrimp who killed bristleworms. (Wasn't complaining but he did a better job than the arrow crab later introduced)

 

[ajespo85]

Some Peppermints are known to go after aptasia, that's why people want them, but then once the tank is clean, they go after xenia, zoas, frogspawn, hammers, anything soft for them to sink into. It's not too common IMO, but it has been known to happen.

 

[650-IS350]

Some Peppermints are known to go after aptasia, that's why people want them, but then once the tank is clean, they go after xenia, zoas, frogspawn, hammers, anything soft for them to sink into. It's not too common IMO, but it has been known to happen.

They took down 3 acan colonies and a couple favia colonies, wouldn't doubt they were the reason for some of missing nice Z's and P's I had. Caught them one night going to town on what's left of my acans. Will NEVER put Peps in my tanks ever again.

 

[Ryannn]

I think peppermints are mostly opportunistic and eat whatever they can. I had an anemone that was a little... angry at me for moving it's rocks around, it went and shriveled up, pulled into a rock. A little later, I saw one of my peppermint shrimps in there picking at it. I blew them with a turkey baster and it went scrambling, but still.

I only have mine for aptasia control, I may end up giving them back to the LFS if I keep seeing them doing things like that.

 

[lutz123]

Are you sure it isn't a misidentified camel shrimp? They pick at coral.

 

[nystang]

I had 3 and all of them were bothering my duncan and hammer. They started from stealing food from duncans and once they ate the food they tearing apart the tentacles. I finally got rid of them and I do not plan on replacing them.