How Many Peppermint Shrimp/Gallon??

[phillips]

For controlling Aiptasia, how many peppermint shrimp would you recommend for a 75 gallon tank?

Thanks much...

 

[danmhippo]

Start with 3, wait another week and see if you can see any progress, and add more if you see fit. For as long as there are food to eat (including aiptasia), peppermint shrimps are pretty sociable and can be kept in much higher density then fish, not too extreme of course. Even if all aiptasia are eaten, they can be great scavenger.

Make sure your tank does not have yellow polyps, otherwise, they will be eaten too.

 

[Reef Fever]

Also, do not put freshly fragged soft corals within reach. I had a rabid one pouncing gleefully on my fresh Xenia cuttings, and on a mushroom rock I was creating from clippings.

 

[Anonymous]

Will Peppermint Shrimp eat other anemones besides Aiptasia?

 

[danmhippo]

I haven't have that problem yet. I have blue mushroom, ricordia, button polyps and BTA.

 

[Anonymous]

Will Peppermint Shrimp eat other anemones besides Aiptasia?

I caught one of mine on one ocassion taking a nip of my Haddoni, but evidently it did not become a habit as the anemone remains in excellent condition. Maybe the clown keeps the shrimp at bay.

 

[SPC]

Posted by Super Cow:
Will Peppermint Shrimp eat other anemones besides Aiptasia?

-I have 6 in my 180 with no aiptasia and have not seen them bother anything including my flower anemone. Actually I am quite sure that if they did mess with the flower anemone, he would eat them.
Steve

 

[phillips]

Thanks for the help...I added 6 to my 75 and they have started to eat the Aiptasia. I'm pondering leaving the big Aiptasia to provide babies for the shrimp to eat.