peppermint shrimp to control aptasia

[milkshake]

I see that peppermint shrimp will eat aptasia. What are some of the down sides of having peppermint shrimp? Will a large brittle star tear into these guys? I have alot of small brittle stars and one large one, several zoanthids, ricordia, emerald green crab, and some softies.

 

[acro-wrasse]

I never had any problems with them at all.
They did eat smaller aiptasia, but the big ones they won't touch.

that "four legged bat" avatar is creeping me out :eek2:

 

[milkshake]

I tell you what, I'll find another that will comfort you-so to speak.

 

[redhawk44cb]

You know George, I really wish you would change that avatar. It's been nothing but trouble, what with luring folk into unwholesome talk, and all.

As far as the topic goes, I've never owned peppermint shrimp, but I've often read that they will eat aiptasia. As for brittle stars, mine leave all my crustaceans alone

 

[milkshake]

I feel your pain brother....

 

[DMBillies]

I have 5 peppermints and love them. They spawn all of the time (maybe once every two weeks one of them lets a clutch go...great food for the tank) and I have never seen an aptasia in my tank other than one that I found growing in my refugium where they can't get to (so I know there are some in my system and they must get gobbled up in the main tank). I've also heard that they won't kill bigger ones, but if they are a good size, they should be easy enough to nuke with Joe's Juice. Once you get the big ones, peppermints should be able to keep the population down. Can't speak to whether a brittle star would bother them. From experience, they seem to survive much better and are more likely to stay out in the open when you keep them in groups. Also, like all crustaceans, make sure you acclimate them VERY slowly.

I got my last group from www.saltwaterfish.com who seem to have, by far, the best price that I have ever seen on peppermints (5 for $15).

 

[milkshake]

yeah..I would have to say that's a real good price.

 

[crpeck]

Peppermint shrimp are really active and fun to watch in the tank, but mine turned into a pack of bullies when they got big and I had to trap them out and get rid of them. Maybe if there were just a couple they wouldn't be so obnoxious, but I had 6 because I did one of those "cleaner crew packages" . They ran as a pack and picked the snot out of anything new or anything in trouble. They would steal food from corals so it was a big pain to put a strawberry basket or strainer over corals I was trying to feed so they'd have a chance before the Peps would mob.

There are easier ways to get rid of aptasia than those thugs I think. I did miss their activity when they were gone though. I used to drop a food pellet down in the middle of the pack and watch "Peppermint Shrimp Smackdown". One would grab the pellet and run with the whole bunch chasing after and it would be a mob scene when they got caught. It was one of our show off the tank parlor tricks for company because is was so funny.

C

 

[milkshake]

That's the last thing I need in the tank, a bunch of gangsters. I think I will try putting 2 in there. I feed once daily Bio-Blend pellet food. I think with feeding like this, it would keep them alive and the aptasia would or could disappear. Anyone think otherwise?

 

[zebrafish]

I have a green brittle start (aka Green Death) about 10 inches in diameter, and I beleive that it ate the two Pepermint shrimp that were in the tank. I try to keep the star feed with pieces of krill, but I guess he wanted more. This is the only explanation that I can come up with for the shrimps disappearance.

 

[milkshake]

Zebrafish...that's what I was thinking too. I have a 7-8" brittle star in the tank. I dont want to go buy these pepp's and they just get ate. With having a smaller tank, I think there would be a good chance of them being ate. That's just what I think.