Cleaner shrimp and feather duster

[cprdnick]

This morning my FD lost his crown, so I knew it was pretty much over from that point for him. Around lunch he crawled out of his tube, which I expected. I know he is going to die, no doubt there, but he's not dead yet. The question I have is: is it normal for a cleaner shrimp to eat a worm? The FD worm isn't dead yet and my Scarlet Cleaner is tearing him apart. He just now tried to carry him up the rocks, but the worm moved just right to freak him out and he dropped him back down to the sand bed. I don't have any issues with this because I accept its nature at work, but is it normal? I didn't figure a cleaner shrimp would do this.

 

[hammerhed7]

I have never personally seen that, but shrimp are opportunistic feeders so I don't doubt it.

 

[florida joe]

I have placed feather dusters im my tank only to have my peppermint shrimp eat them with in the hour

 

[t316]

Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2492495
I have placed feather dusters im my tank only to have my peppermint shrimp eat them with in the hour
What else will pepermint hurt/kill? I was about to add 4 or 5 to help eat up some aiptasia. They are coral safe???

 

[florida joe]

Originally Posted by T316
http:///forum/post/2492519
What else will pepermint hurt/kill? I was about to add 4 or 5 to help eat up some aiptasia. They are coral safe???
I have never seen them harm any of my corals

 

[m0nk]

Originally Posted by T316
http:///forum/post/2492519
What else will pepermint hurt/kill? I was about to add 4 or 5 to help eat up some aiptasia. They are coral safe???
Peppermint shrimp, like cleaner shrimp, will feed on dead/decaying organic matter. This means that if you have dead/dying coral or inverts, they'll go after it.
This is probably why the cleaner shrimp went after the worm, it was likely shedding dead/decaying matter and the shrimp was just going after that.

 

[lexluethar]

I thought peppermint shrimp were reef safe - but this is NOT the case. Depending on your shrimp, and how often you feed. But my peppermint shrimp at my sun polyps and at some of the tenticles of my BTA. I had to start spot feeding my shrimp in order for him to stop eating my corals and BTA.
I agree, they are oportunistic creatures, so anything dieing (like the worm) is food for the shrimp.
JUST BE WARNED, THEY WILL AT TIMES EAT SUN POLYPS AND BTA's. I've heard from other posters of peppermints eating a BTA, but i didn't believe it - until mine started doing so. It should be no suprise, if they eat an invert like a glass anemone they would eat other inverts / corals.
And yes i know the diff between camel and peppermint, mine was DEFINATELY peppermint.