Peppermint Shrimp & Urchins

alfa1023

alfa1023

New member
Did a wholesale cleaning of my 20 gal QT (which has now become a shrimp/crab/urchin tank) and found out that I have 37 peppermint shrimp in there, along with 6 black long spined urchins, a couple of pistol shrimp and a handful of hermit and baby stone crabs. Almost all of these residents came from my stone crab traps I have out in the bay. Everybody is very healthy and well feed.

Needless to say, I could afford to lose some of these guys. I literally can get a dozen or so peppermints everytime I check the traps. I took John (FAOIS) some of the peppermints and he didn't know if they were the aiptasia eating kind. There is no aiptasia in this tank and based on the source of some of the rocks, I would have expected there to be some.

Anyway, anybody want any of these guys? I need to keep a few shrimp and a couple of urchins for a friend and I promised Ted some shrimp, but there is still plenty for the taking.

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Ted,

Don't know if he will or won't. Either way ok (fish gets a nice fresh shrimp meal, or they survive).

Laine - ankle is ugly (swollen and very colorful) but not stopping me from getting around - went 10 miles offshore yesterday to get some water.

Forecast said seas 2-3'. Maybe behind my house. Someday, I am taking one of these forecasters out with me for a boat ride. Maybe feed them some nice greasy food beforehand. Then when offshore ask them "how do you like these 2-3' seas!"

Should be home all day. Ted - will try and make it up one day this week.
 
do you still have peppermints avail? I would love to take you up on your offer. Maybe I could meet you when you meet up with Ted?

Gatorolsen
 
Still have them available - actually added a couple more decent sized ones out of the traps this morning. Will let you know what day and time I am headed up Ted's way.

Jim
 
I also would like some pep shrimp & the crabs you mentioned. I can meet at Teds. Just lmk when & I'll be there, ok.

Thanks, Diane
 
Planning on coming up to Ted's on Saturday morning now. Will bring lots of shrimp and whatever crabs I can get hold of.

Nobody wants any of the urchins? They are great algae eaters.

If anybody wants any unmounted xenia, let me know and I will go do some "weeding" before coming up.
 
Greedy little me but I would love some xenia to get it started in my tank again. I'll take whatever xenia and peppermints you can spare.

Ted, is it Ok if we meet at your place :D guess i should have asked first, if not we can meet nearby (and no, Earnie won't be able to make it this sat either - helping out on a field trip to cedar key)

thanks
Gatorolsen
 
Gatorolsen , Meeting here works great for me . I'm always happy to have other Reef Tank People stop by . Ted
 
Diane , They eat almost all algae . They are reef safe , but the big ones may knock things over . I would love to have one in my tank , but I have an acrylic tank , and when they eat the algae of the acrylic they can scratch it . With a glass tank that isn't a problem . Ted
 
Diane,

Based on watching these urchins, they seem to eat the nuisance algae off the rocks first, then might venture onto the glass. Supposedly they will eat coraline, but I have not seen any evidence of that (up until cleaning the tank they had enough other algae to eat). I tried to give them some nori to eat (since I cleaned off all their other food) but the dang shrimp decided to go vegetarian on me and ate the nori.

They do grow fast. In six months time, these 6 urchins went from the size of your fingernail (say 1/2" max) to their current size of approx 2".

I did put one in my fuge several months back, figuring he could feast on all the nuisance algae that grows in there. Needless to say, my fuge is cleaner than it has ever been.

Let me know if you want to give them a try.

Jim
 
Jim , If I could be sure that I wouldn't get any scratches on my tank from them I would love to have a couple for my tank . Ted
 
Ted,

I would be afraid to chance it. The one in my fuge clearly spends his time on the sides munching away.

Jim
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11997907#post11997907 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alfa1023
Planning on coming up to Ted's on Saturday morning now.

Nobody wants any of the urchins? They are great algae eaters.
Click to expand...

I'll try an urchin. Can you bring it to Teds Saturday. I might be able to swing by his house in the am
 
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