Peppermint Shrimp

[jarock]

I noticed my 2 shrimps clawing frantically at my bubble coral is this normal for peppermints and i'm not really sure if they hurt it or not but the one bigger one to me looked like it was attacking it lunging and swiping with all of his front legs .

 

[KarenJax]

I watch my peppermints all the time. It's feeding behavior from what I've observed.There was something yummy on/by your bubble coral I'll bet ya

 

[jarock]

does it take them along time to start eating aptasia ? i am in dire need of them to eat it i neglected to kill them for a year and its getting to be alot not to the point of killing corals but i would say at least a couple hundred or would my solution be a aptasia eating file fish ?

 

[KarenJax]

I can't answer that one for ya sorry lol!!! I don't have aptasia. My peps get brine shrimp and frozen mysis. And dead snails -gag-

 

[ZyberGoby]

I'd definitely add the extra help to the tank if there is room for it. But one thing I noticed with my 2 peps is that they have molted about 30times in the 2mo that I have hand them. When I got them they were the size of a nickle now they are 2in long and vary veracious eaters

 

[little_fish]

Are you sure that they are peppermint shrimps? Camel shrimp look very similar but are not reef safe and wont eat apstasia.

 

[Bifferwine]

I think a small file fish will be a better option if you have that many.

 

[yote]

Or Berguia ( sp?) nudibranchs will wipe out aiptasia pretty quick to.Except when the aiptasia are gone,you'll have to take the nudis out to keep em from starving.

We kinda stumbled on something that pepperments are better at than aiptasia at the LFS.We've discovered that they LOVE zoaanthid eating nudibranchs.

 

[ErinCahir]

I agree that you're probably seeing feeding behavior. And they won't eat any aiptasia that are bigger than an inch.
Mine took about two and a half weeks to eat the three that popped up in my tank...

 

[ltljoker]

you also mite wanna try aptasia x it will kill off any aptasia yoy have quickly and it is reef safe. I used it and was very impressed.:Cheers:

 

[GassyMon]

My peppermints started eating the aptasia in like 10 days

 

[Piratefish]

My Peppermints are lazy bums. I only have 2 small aiptasia but they wont touch them.

 

[jarock]

only thing with aptasia x it works for me but with how many i have its a lost cause , i will order a aptasia eating fish this week , any suggestions on what types are good for eating aptasia

 

[LBFish]

IME some peps will eat the aiptasia and some wont. The nudi's that yote mentioned will always eat them as far as I know. But, once your aiptasia is gone, you will want to give them to someone else. Apparently they don't really eat anything else.

 

[little_fish]

A file fish will eat aptasia, just be sure that you get one that will ok with your tank size.

 

[yote]

You could also try a Copperband Butterfly.But he would also have to go once all the aiptasia are gone.Plus in a 55,you'd have to a small one.