Shrimp eating Torch!

[planejane]

How quickly things can change. Just this morning I was admiring my new addition this week, a Torch Coral, and commenting at how good it was looking. Then, this afternoon, I looked and found it all retracted and missing half of its tentacles. WTH!

Then out comes a Peppermint Shrimp, also added this week, and proceeds to start ripping out more of the tentacles. It didn't look like it was eating them, do they usually eat Torches, just pulling them out for fun. The thug.

I guess anything that eats Aptasia will eat anything. I got 2 of the peps to see if they would get rid of it. There were about 5 or 6 aptasias that had just appeared in the tank about a month ago. Within 24 hours after putting in the peps they were gone!

Will they continue to ravage other corals? So, now what do I do? Keep them or try to catch and put them in a rental program, or maybe rehab.

 

[fishdoc11]

It's actually pretty rare for them just to start tearing a coral up like that. If the coral just ate something it's normal for them to try and get to that though.

 

[Anchovy]

I can always take them off your hands . I'm sure the mantis would love them, lol.

 

[ct_vol]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14811807#post14811807 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishdoc11
If the coral just ate something it's normal for them to try and get to that though.

That is kind of what I figured... I know plenty have torn apart LPS that have eaten mysis or whatever...

 

[fishdoc11]

Another thing I thought about today is that it could be a camel shrimp instead of a peppermint. Are you sure it's a pepermint?

 

[planejane]

I'm reasonably certain it's a peppermint by comparing it to photos of the R. Durbanensis and R. Urita, I got it at CR.

The Torch is now almost completely "bald", but the few tentacles that are left are out and looking normal.

 

[Runner]

I had a peppermint start doing that to my feather dusters -- just ripping them apart without eating them (probably looking for the food they had grabbed). The peppermint came out and, seeing as I didn't have a place to keep him or time to take him to the store, he became a snack for two pairs of kribs in my 135G FW tank (he caused a major fight and turf battle).

P.S. Just thinking of you, Mel, while telling this story.

 

[EvilMel]

Oh lord.

 

[ct_vol]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14815655#post14815655 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Runner

P.S. Just thinking of you, Mel, while telling this story.

LMAO :lolspin: