This sounds kool
- Thread starter acrodave
- Start date
It would be interesting to set up a quarantine tank with them though...
Fishboy42
Premium Member
That is very interesting. I've heard that they are far from reefsafe, but maybe they could still be of use to clean corals in qt, etc. as someone suggested.
I know these have been bred and raised before in captivity and apparently aren't too much more difficult than peppermints. Sooo many projects to try
I know these have been bred and raised before in captivity and apparently aren't too much more difficult than peppermints. Sooo many projects to try
Lint_Licker
In Memoriam
You can do the same with peppermint shrimp. One of my buddies has a QT set up for new arrivals where its just a sandbed and 5 peppermint shrimp. you put your corals in the QT and the peppermints will clean it of any parasites. He had a video of it where they would just pick through zoa colonies polyp by polyp cleaning around them eating everything from hydroids to nudibranchs.
However, I dont think this works with captive bred peppermints, only wild caught that are use to doing the same in the wild.
However, I dont think this works with captive bred peppermints, only wild caught that are use to doing the same in the wild.
Fishboy42
Premium Member
I didn't know that peppermints would target them as well; also very interesting 
I wonder if this hasn't been brought up more often because both of these shrimps are known to occasionally bother reef organisms and so aren't commonly kept in reef tanks?
Based on my own experiences (having maintained, bred, and raised these animals on multiple occasions), I would argue that this probably isn't true. I have witnessed captive-bred peppermints cleaning some pests and eating aips just as with their wild-caught counterparts. One could even argue that they might be better than WC animals in some respects--less chance of disease/pest introduction and more familiarity with aquariums and humans (meaning that they may be more likely to venture out of their hiding places to do their cleaning).
What was interesting here is that these shrimps will target and eat AEFWs and pest nudis specifically, something I had not known until now.
I would liken it to the common misconception that clowns raised in captivity won't accept or be accepted by an anemone host--misinformation spread in the early days of captive propagation of these species by those in the business of selling wild-caught specimens...
I wonder if this hasn't been brought up more often because both of these shrimps are known to occasionally bother reef organisms and so aren't commonly kept in reef tanks?Based on my own experiences (having maintained, bred, and raised these animals on multiple occasions), I would argue that this probably isn't true. I have witnessed captive-bred peppermints cleaning some pests and eating aips just as with their wild-caught counterparts. One could even argue that they might be better than WC animals in some respects--less chance of disease/pest introduction and more familiarity with aquariums and humans (meaning that they may be more likely to venture out of their hiding places to do their cleaning).
What was interesting here is that these shrimps will target and eat AEFWs and pest nudis specifically, something I had not known until now.
I would liken it to the common misconception that clowns raised in captivity won't accept or be accepted by an anemone host--misinformation spread in the early days of captive propagation of these species by those in the business of selling wild-caught specimens...
but I'm beginning to think that maybe it would be a good project. They are cool-looking shrimp anyway.
Lint_Licker
In Memoriam
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11191471#post11191471 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fishboy42
I didn't know that peppermints would target them as well; also very interesting
Based on my own experiences (having maintained, bred, and raised these animals on multiple occasions), I would argue that this probably isn't true. I have witnessed captive-bred peppermints cleaning some pests and eating aips just as with their wild-caught counterparts. One could even argue that they might be better than WC animals in some respects--less chance of disease/pest introduction and more familiarity with aquariums and humans (meaning that they may be more likely to venture out of their hiding places to do their cleaning).
What was interesting here is that these shrimps will target and eat AEFWs and pest nudis specifically, something I had not known until now.
I would liken it to the common misconception that clowns raised in captivity won't accept or be accepted by an anemone host--misinformation spread in the early days of captive propagation of these species by those in the business of selling wild-caught specimens...
That was based on what my buddy had told me, he had better luck with the ones they caught in the gulf over ones that he had bought captive bred.
Lint_Licker
In Memoriam
No clue where he got them. I think he ordered.
Lint_Licker
In Memoriam
The kind he has, Lysmata-rathbunae.
Fishboy42
Premium Member
The shrimp in the picture above are not L. rathbunae , but that is of little consequence since the picture was lifted from Horozbina (where it was misidentified) and isn't of your friend's shrimp.
A review of the peppermint shrimp complex within the genus Lysmata was conducted in 2006 by Andrew Rhyne. He gave a lecture at IMAC in which he detailed the morphological differences. He also suggested that most of the peppermint shrimps in the trade are misidentified, as no formal review of the group had ever been conducted. Rathbunae has bright, contrasting red stripes along the body. I have a PDF of the publication if you'd like to review it.
Rathbunae is sometimes chosen for captive culture because its larval period is about half of some of the other shrimps in the complex (Wittenrich 2002).
A review of the peppermint shrimp complex within the genus Lysmata was conducted in 2006 by Andrew Rhyne. He gave a lecture at IMAC in which he detailed the morphological differences. He also suggested that most of the peppermint shrimps in the trade are misidentified, as no formal review of the group had ever been conducted. Rathbunae has bright, contrasting red stripes along the body. I have a PDF of the publication if you'd like to review it.
Rathbunae is sometimes chosen for captive culture because its larval period is about half of some of the other shrimps in the complex (Wittenrich 2002).
Lint_Licker
In Memoriam
I didnt say those were HIS shrimp, I said thats the kind he has. He showed me that pic and he purchased them as Lysmata-rathbunae.
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