NewsFlash - Peppermints might not be reef safe!

[krazekajin]

I was on a website devoted to the sell of bergia nudis for aiptasia control. This is a response from them to my questioning why bergia nudis and peppermints are supposed to be together.
Hi Brandon,
Yes most of the shrimp in the Peppermint and Camel relatives are
predators. They will pick on many things with soft bodies and are
observed pulling the insides out. Most of the time a healthy Peppermint
shrimp will kill small to medium tunicates, sea squirts, small to medium
cucumbers and non-toxic nudibranches. They will pull holes in the
tentacles of long tentacled and bubble tipped anemones at night and may
even kill large tropical anemones. On a Rose bubble tip anemone, you
can see the holes where a Peppermint has been feeding on the tentacles
by observing small concentrated dots of color in the tentacles. This
small pimple looking dot is the result of the anemone tentacle closing
up the hole as if it was a tiny mouth in order to fill the tentacle up
with water. Peppermints may also learn to prey on Tubastrea corals and
a variety of polyps, killing them. In addition to being predators,
these shrimp learn that the gastic contents of these animals are full of
a rich variety of planktons that they feed on and they will eventually
kill them for food. A healthy Peppermint can often be observed going
along the rocks sticking it's little claws into holes of the rocks and
eating something unseen. The animals it is feeding on are filter
feeders in the rock. Sometimes we don't see it in our tanks because
Peppermints are nearly 100% nocturnal, very shy, and are used to being
associated with large rocks in a huge school of shrimp. They are caught
along the jetties of south Texas and Florida and are not from the reef
environment. Since these shrimp have proven to be predators, they may
also harm or learn to harm a Berghia sea slug.
The exception in this family is the cleaner shrimp. Although they are
in the same taxonomical Genus, they will not bother the Berghia
nudibranches. They are also different because they are found more in
the reef environment.
Larry
INSTAR (Inland South Texas Aquaculture Reef) Farm and Chemical
Captive Bred, Tank Raised
- Also, they mentioned that peppermints are not found on reefs.

 

[perfectdark]

Im confused as the Lysmata wurdemanni are considered part of the cleaner shrimp family.. or Peppermint shrimp. Although it has been reported that they have nibbled on a few soft corals from time to time, they dont have the reputation of their cousins...Rhynchocinetas durbanensis or Camelback shrimp that are recomended not safe for reefs.
Peppermint Shrimp, Caribbean Cleaner Shrimp. Tropical West Atlantic. Lives singly or in groups. Gets along with all aquarium species. Commercially produced. A reclusive, sometimes misidentified species.
The Peppermint Shrimp is sometimes confused with its Pacific cousin, Rhynchocinetes durbanensis, which has a pointed nose and inter-spaced white stripes over its body.
First described in 1850, the Peppermint Shrimp is usually found living in the vertical shafts of the reef, sometimes in the core of the pipe sponges. It is very sociable and will live peacefully with almost all reef inhabitants. On occasion, it has been known to eat the Aiptasia sp.

 

[krazekajin]

well, Somebody is mistaken. I have always heard what Perfect Dark is saying. so I guess that makes two confused people.
I just wanted to share this and see if anybody else had anything to say.

 

[m0nk]

That's definitely interesting stuff. I'd really like to hear/read more from other sources; it would be nice to know the truth, considering I've got one of these guys in my reef....heh.

 

[perfectdark]

A lot of what I posted came from some of Bob Fenners writings and articles just as an FYI. We always like to see a credible source for our information.

 

[1journeyman]

Krazy, can you email them again and ask for some more specifics?
What latin name for the pep. Shrimp are the referring too? (common names can be misleading)
Sources for their info?
I agree that is not what I've read, nor have I had any issues with true Pep. shrimps. But, we can always learn new things.

 

[lexluethar]

I'm no expert, but I do have a peppermint shrimp and a lot of sun polyps and he doesn't touch them. Even at night because I always enjoy seeing my tank at night w/ the blue led. I realize this is just one shrimp in one tank, but mine doesn't feed on polyps and i've always heard what dark is saying.
And its not that he doesn't ever eat anything with soft bodies, b/c i had aspia before purchasing him and he went straight for them eating them, leaving smaller sun polyps right next to the aspia alone.

 

[bang guy]

I have seen Peppermints eat the following:
Yellow Polyps
Aiptasia
Fish Larvae
Baby Banggai
Stomatella Snails
small shrimp that are currently molting
Amphipods
Opossum Shrimp
Bristle Worms
I would still consider them reef safe, but just be aware that they are omnivores.

 

[ice4ice]

Opossum shrimp ? Never heard of them ...

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by Ice4Ice
Opossum shrimp ? Never heard of them ...
Have you seen Bang's tank? He's probably got things in there that Fenner has never heard of...

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Ice4Ice
Opossum shrimp ? Never heard of them ...
Opossum = Mysid Shrimp

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Have you seen Bang's tank? He's probably got things in there that Fenner has never heard of...
LOL

 

[nacl+h2o fish]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
Im confused as the Lysmata wurdemanni are considered part of the cleaner shrimp family.. or Peppermint shrimp. Although it has been reported that they have nibbled on a few soft corals from time to time, they dont have the reputation of their cousins...Rhynchocinetas durbanensis or Camelback shrimp that are recomended not safe for reefs.
Peppermint Shrimp, Caribbean Cleaner Shrimp. Tropical West Atlantic. Lives singly or in groups. Gets along with all aquarium species. Commercially produced. A reclusive, sometimes misidentified species.
The Peppermint Shrimp is sometimes confused with its Pacific cousin, Rhynchocinetes durbanensis, which has a pointed nose and inter-spaced white stripes over its body.
First described in 1850, the Peppermint Shrimp is usually found living in the vertical shafts of the reef, sometimes in the core of the pipe sponges. It is very sociable and will live peacefully with almost all reef inhabitants. On occasion, it has been known to eat the Aiptasia sp.
PerfectDark... I'm no expert, but isn't this a miss ID of "Camel Back Shrimp" as "Peppermint Shrimp"? All us newbies

rush in to purchase these shrimp for aiptasia control and OOOOOPS! ??????????

 

[lexluethar]

They do look extremely similar, the white stripes is what gives them away. Like Bang said, just monitor.

 

[reefkprz]

OK just as a clarification question, why would some one use peppermint shrimp as a tecnique to battle aip and assume they would never touch any other anemone...... if they are know predators on anemone (aiptasia), how could it be shocking that they MIGHT prey on other items (including colonial anemone such as zoas) or even relegate to eating bubble tips in a situation of hunger? classified as a cleaner in general terms means it will pick parasites (read as PREY ON parasitic creatures) eat detritus (fish waste, excess food, etc.) and aiptasia anemone. of course aip is not parasitic but a free living organism... maybe a lot of people dont know but the classification of predatory isnt always exclusive. I may not eat squirrel on a regular basis preffering turkey but you get me hungry enough I'll eat the squirrel.

 

[reef diver]

Yes, however your question can be applied to those berghias, however ive never heard a case of berghias taking down anything other than aptasia genus anemones. Also, peppermints do eat a variety of other things, why recently i watched all 4 pepps that i purchased for aptasia control try to get my rbta, and they became lunch for the anemone. However that proves my point that pepps are reef safe though should be watched and observed carefully for signs of alternate predation.

 

[reefkprz]

that post may have sounded a little "off" sorry for that.
seriously.
there is no true finite definition of reef safe. the closest we can get is "reef safe enough". ANY solitary anemone is a danger in a reef but is considered "reef safe" by many sites. sorry. anemone are dangerous to corals. they are not safe if they touch, PERIOD. some corals under the similar definition lines used to classify motile animals wouldnt even come close to reef safe. picture a euphyllia thats capable of wandering around your tank..... Even some sessile animals that fall under the "reef safe" category dont work with other corals, like sarcophyton VS porites the sarcophyton IS a coral how much more reef safe can you get? they exude toxins that are severly detrimental to porites, euphyllia, acropora and more. reef safe only applies so far as a manufacturers warantee...... I dont make them.. I wont give a warantee on that... know what I mean?