Peppermint shrimp...MIA...maybe

[Anonymous]

At the suggestion of some of my fellow reefers here, I decided to get a few peppermint shrimp to handle a small aiptasia problem I was having. After the first night, I couldn't locate them...and for the past week there have been no sitings whatsoever. Today I resigned myself to the fact that they were lost...so I was about ready to get a few more when I noticed a few of the aiptasia (that were there yesterday) were gone.

I suspect that at least one of the peppermints is alive...I can't think of any other reason why the aiptasia is gone. For those of you who have peppermints, is my experience unusual? Do they hide much of time? Come out at night?

I have a good sized tank, so I think they're hiding in the back within the LR. What do you guys think? TIA for your comments and suggestions!

Chris

 

[zbrook1]

I had the same thing happen to me........put only one peppermint in my 55 gal to do the same thing you did and did not see him the whole day I put him in and then the next day the aptasia was gone......he must have came out at night and did his job.....and to this day I only see him once and a while......he hides all day and comes out at night.What I did one night was get a flashlight and shine it in the aquarium after the lights have been off for a while and sure enough he was there doing fine. Good Luck!

 

[Anonymous]

Chris, they will hide in the rockwork during the day. You can train them to hang out front and be visible by feeding them periodically. Mine seem to recognize that it's feeding time whenever they see me and when my hand goes in the tank I get mobbed for attention (note I don't even think they have a real brain but they are entertaining). Also keeping them spot fed seems to keep them from bothering other polyped animals - I have had mine bother long tentacle anemones and zooanthids on several occasions. Also long term they are hell on the fauna of your sandbed!

 

[Minh Nguyen]

They are very reclusive. If you have a good rock structure, you often will not see them during the day. Use a red flashlight and you maybe able to see them at night. They are hardy and should still be there unless you have a shrimp predator in your tank.
Minh

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, guys...I appreciate the replies!

Chris

 

[Reef Guy11]

I had got like 6 of them for Christmas with this reef package that my mom got me. Same thing put them in and bye bye but there is no more Aptasia all gone. I did see one about a Month ago but haven't really looked for them anymore.

 

[Anonymous]

The only way I can tell my peppermints are still in action is by occasionally seeing a discarded shell after a molting.

 

[Anonymous]

Apparently I missed the section concerning their nocturnal behavior when I researched them.

Thanks again for all of your replies!

Chris