Introducing new inverts with a mean goby on the prowl.

alisamac

alisamac

Member
First post in a real long time but I'm stumped.
After a while of just letting the tank do it's thing (after an ATO catastrophe that left a 65g frag tank in ruins) we decided to get some peppermint shrimp to help clean up some of the aptasia popping up. Went down to my lfs and got three of them for free (punch card bonus!) Came home, acclimated them, and set them free. Not even a hour later Josh looks in the tank and our saddle back clown is carrying the largest of the three around in her mouth, being too big to eat. Josh runs to the tank and scares it loose, only to drop it right into our pink spotted shrimp goby's mouth.. Of course google lets me know that yes this sometimes does happen.
I think our goby has a bit of a mean streak.. Not shy at all, goes after everything we drop in that tank, including hands. I'm wondering if anyone has had success in introducing peppermints around predatory tank mates and when is the best time to do it? (lights off?)
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
after light out about an hour is good time. B carfull I had peppermint attack my ricordea dragged bhind a rock never to be seen again. Needless to say gave them away. I would use Joe juice to get rid of aptasia.
 
alisamac

alisamac

Member
Thanks for the advice Mr. Limpid.. At this point I'd be glad for shrimp with a little guts. Over the past few years we've gotten some here and there only to never see them again for various reasons. Never before have I seen nor thought a fish would eat them. Our reef refresher package came with an emerald crab too, hopefully the claws will be enough of a deterrent against that bully.
As far as the aptasia, we've had luck blasting them with heated tank water but they're getting in sensitive spots around coral and I'd hate to melt anything. If the shrimp aren't effective we'll have to get a little more hands on.
 
alisamac

alisamac

Member
After considering it for a while, and watching the goby pick up and carry away a live snail, we're just gonna take it in to the store to trade in. The naughty clowns are going back too. Gonna go for some nice firefish, probably a helfrichi since we're going from six fish down to four.. Sucks though, the goby was the only one I really picked out since I got into the hobby and it unfortunately turned out to be a butt face.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
If you have plenty of LR you may want to look into a Copper Band butterfly, they are reef safe and love to eat aiptasia.
 
rickross23

rickross23

Active Member
If you have plenty of LR you may want to look into a Copper Band butterfly, they are reef safe and love to eat aiptasia.
They are reef safe??? I heard they are a hit or miss.
 
alisamac

alisamac

Member
It's is a pink spotted shrimp goby, which I'm very fond of and so sad to see it sitting in a bag until I can catch these clowns. I had to break because it's 90 degrees in this house and I needed to research trapping techniques before I smash something expensive with my net.
 
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