buying peppermint shrimp today- questions....

[javajoe]

I am most likely going to buy a peppermint shrimp today, and am wondering how hardy they are, how long i should acclimate it, etc.
also, after the aptasia are gone, what do they eat? i have a 55 gallon, and there was just one aptasia, now in about a week i have noticed about 10 or more. should i jsut get one shrimp- or several?
Thanks....
Joe

 

[wrigley11]

peppermint shrimp are like any other cleaner shrimp... they will eat the same food that you feed your fish. They really seem to enjoy anything from the frozen lifeline green to any meaty food. Some people say they will eat flake food, but in my opinion if you are feeding flake to a marine aquarium you should switch it to fresh water... flake food is a great way to starve your fish.
Acclimate them like any other fish... float the bag and add water from the tank. If there is a big difference in the specific gravite bring it up a little slower then normal though. Shrimp tend to get stressed out and die if you change the salinity to fast. There not starfish though so don't worry about the drip method.
About how many to buy... I would never put just one in my tank. Shrimp live in groups and seem to enjoy being around others of their own kind, they will all stay together.
Hope this helps and if you have any other questions just ask.

 

[javajoe]

Cool- thanks! My LFS sells them cheaper if you buy 3, so i think i'll get 3....thanks for your help!

 

[wrigley11]

3 actually seem to work very well together... if your luck you will get a male and a female out of the whole thing. The female will carry the eggs and release them in your tank.
Your not going to have babies or anything but the fish get a nice treat.

 

[headabovewater]

Mine eat dried flake food. About everytime I feed my fish they come running out from under the rock to scavenge food that makes it to the bottam.

 

[javajoe]

WOW!
There was about 10 -15 small aptasia gorwing all over my tank, and after putting in the 3 shrimp last night, they are ALL GONE! These guys sure are earning their keep!
I also bought a sally lightfoot- it's a trip watching it go to town on all the hair algae! fast little critter! It is afraid of the Perc clowns-- they swim near it, and it'll quick scurry around to the other side of the rocks.... quite funny to watch actually....

 

[tomato clown]

Hey Joe,
I bought peppermints last night too. Mine haven't started on my atapsia yet, but I am just hoping they will today. It is great to hear they are working for you too, so now there is hope for me and my infestation.
So far I'm just shocked at how they found all these hiding spots in my LR I never knew even existed.
Dan

 

[javajoe]

yeah- i know what you mean about those hidding spots! I spent 1/2 hour trying to find the 3rd one this morning before i went to work-- turns out that i had a "cave" in one of my rocks that i did not even know about!