Peppermint Shrimp Question

[SonicGT02]

I always thought that peppermint shrimp were reef safe! My acro's were doing great and growing well, then within a week they turned pink and were gone :shock: When I asked the place where I get my corals, the first thing they asked, is if I had any peppermint shrimp. They said they are known for that. Now my lobo has been doing great for some time and is starting to turn pink in some areas instead of the bright red. First I thought it was my one clown starting to host it, as I actually saw parts of the lobo hanging off and seeing skeleton :shock:, but I saw one of the peppermint shimp on it last night. Do I need to get rid of the peppermint shrimp :dunno: All my peramaters are fine!

 

[Bifferwine]

Peppermint shrimp are NOT known for that.

Are you sure you don't have camel shrimp? Google pics of both of those. Some LFS's "accidentally" sell camel shrimp as peppermint shrimp because they look very similar. Camel shrimp are NOT reef safe.

I have never heard of peppermints eating any corals except colonial yellow polyps.

 

[SeattleDarko]

When you buy peppermint shrimp its a good idea to ID them (yourself) at the LFS a lot of LFS will sell camel as peppermints.

 

[SonicGT02]

I'll check into whether or not it's a camel shrimp when I get home!

 

[SonicGT02]

Well - I'm pretty sure that the shrimp that I have are peppermint. There must be something else that is suddenly killing my lobo :frustrat: I come home to see that whatever it is, finished off the one part of the lobo :shock:. Any idea's :dunno: There must have been 3/4" of the lobo left on the skeleton this morning!!

 

[Bifferwine]

Can you list all the animals (inverts and fish) in your tank, as well as your parameters?

 

[SonicGT02]

Lets see: 1 purple tang, 1 green chromis, 2 Oc clowns, 1 Black clown, 1 Bartlett, 25 hermits, 2 Peppermint shrimp, a few turbo's and other snails.
Parameters:
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Phosphates - 0
PH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
SG - 1.025
Calcium - 480

These are the reading I took after I got home a couple of hours ago

 

[steelcity]

Thats a shame, such a pretty lobo too.

 

[Jmck]

can you post some pictures of these peppermint shrimps? Honestly, i dont think your parameters have cauased that damage but to be safe, what is your alkalinity at?
maybe you have a hitch hiker you havent seen in there?

 

[Bifferwine]

If this is happening to more than one coral, in different parts of the tank, I'm inclined to think it's something with the water.

I can't think of any hitch hikers off the top of my head that would do that to a big lobo brain.

 

[SonicGT02]

The thing that's bothering me is that I haven't added anything to the tank in over 6 months. Wait, I added a LT purple anemone a few weeks ago, but that isn't close to it and wouldn't do the damage I've seen. After the first few pieces where taken, I move the lobo, but it still finished off the remainder. I don't think I can get a pic of the pep shrimp, but it isn't close to what the camel's look like. I'm just at a loss as to what to do. I don't have another tank that I can put it or anything else in.