Peppermint shrimp

[FinalPhaze987]

i was thinking about getting a few (4-5?) to help with some little aiptasia ive noticed in a couple crevices i cant hit with joes juice and scavage for any foor the fish might miss. Has anyone had any experiences with these as far as being reef safe? good or bad? TIA

 

[tuberider]

If they run out of Aiptasia, they might start munching on your corals, I've had to use interceptor to remove them in the past. If I were in your shoes, I'd start slow with one or two and be patient, that way in a larger tank they won't get that hungry.

 

[sfsuphysics]

I personally don't like the shrimp, while I've not actively seen them go after the coral, when I spot feed lps they go after that just not with the arrogance that cleaner shrimp seem to. Also I have seen them on MANY occasions picking on a snail that flipped over (in some cases actually trying to flip it too!). So yeah.. snails are much more efficient cleaners than they are, however snails won't deal with your aiptasia.

 

[Raddogz]

The only time I had success (immediate) was dumping four tiny peppermint shrimp into a 7gallon bowfront and having them go to town on the 50+ little ones I had in that tank.

I think I still have one in my 58g, but not sure if it's making any progress not to mention I have a small Copperband and it's not doing much of anything either.

 

[GreshamH]

I dumped a dozen into my aptasia infested tank and I no longer have a single aptasia They do tend to pick at corals that are feeding at the time but I just keep my flow strong enough to "keep them down"

 

[Gomer]

can't you put in a coral banded shrimp to take out your peppermint later on?

 

[GreshamH]

Never had that problem both in tank or in mass holding. Is that something you experienced? CBS should not be able to catch a peppermint, nor a fish, unless there is something really wrong

 

[tuberider]

[quote author=GreshamH link=topic=3711.msg43146#msg43146 date=1210702360]
Never had that problem both in tank or in mass holding. Is that something you experienced? CBS should not be able to catch a peppermint, nor a fish, unless there is something really wrong
[/quote]Absolutely right! Peppermints are the cockroach of the MO shrimps.

 

[GreshamH]

NO that would be sarons or camel/dancing shrimps

 

[FinalPhaze987]

Thanks for all the input...im thinking ill start off with a couple and see where it goes from there...its only a couple tiny aiptasia, but we all know thats how it all starts off...i figure i could live with a couple of the little suckers in there without having to worry about pulling them out, unless something really goes wrong...