peppermint shrimp

[wablondie98664]

just so i know, what does everyone feed there peppermint shrimp and what is the best food for them to eat/do they like most.......ive seen about 3 sites that all say something different about what they eat, so thought i would ask, thanks in advance

 

[dreeves]

The best thing to feed them is whta you feed your fish and is left over for them to scavenge...carniverous type is best from what I have found.

 

[bang guy]

They are omnivores. Goldfish food or a housefly, it makes no difference. For optimal health I would suggest a variety...just like for your fish.

 

[wablondie98664]

is it normal for peppermint shrimp to hide all day or is mine just being a loner? he came out for a few mins late last night, but thats it.

 

[phoenixofthepyre]

Peppermint shrimp can school, so if you have like 4 or 5 of them they will most likely breed and their fry will end up as food for your fish. Mine eat lots: flake,brine, and they ate one of my fish that died. They are very cool shrimp.

 

[wablondie98664]

right now we only have one in there, dont really have much money to buy alot of stuff at once, have to do it slowly, but when i get paid again ill go buy 2 more or so. but will it hide being that it is alone in the tank or is it normal for them to do that durning the day? TIA

 

[phoenixofthepyre]

They should hide most of the day. Mine only went spaztic when I fed my fish. Occasionally, I saw them cleaning my fish and they once started to clean my hand when I was moving around rockwork. They are more mobile when the lights are off. I turned my lights on during the night after the lights had been off for an hour or so and i saw about 2 of them, transparent for some reason, and they were scurrying across the bottom. No doubt they were probably checking for detritus or just checking out the new rockwork. Hope that helps.

 

[wablondie98664]

yea that helps, just wanted to make sure i didnt get a sick or hurt one, ill turn the lights off early tonight and turn on the moon lights and see what happens, thanks for the help

 

[bang guy]

Peppermint shrimp are normally nocturnal. If you feed during the day it won't take them long to catch on. If you notice yours swaying back & forth it's indicating that it's willing to clean your "scales" & "Gills". If you hand feed it while it's swaying it will become much less reclusive and actually begin to recognize you.
I strongly suggest keeping them in pairs or groups.

 

[wablondie98664]

lol i cant find mine at all, saw him the first night, then, nothing, just gone, we even checked under the lr, nowhere at all lol. we only have 2 clowns, 2 damsels, a green mand. goby and 2 baby hermet crabs in there, nothing big enough to eat him, any ideas where he could have gone?

 

[offshore80]

Your not alone. I haven't seen mine in a week and I haven't seen my purple lobster in a month nor my fiddler crab. But I have 70 lbs of rock work they can hide in. But I sure would like to see them. At least I see my Emerald crabs.

 

[wablondie98664]

well the thing is the other day we had to take out our lr, only have 16 lbs, 3 big rocks, but he wasnt on any of them lol, just gone, its werid

 

[dreeves]

Mine are always out in view.

 

[dreeves]

I am going to try that feeding with the sway thing that Guy mentioned, sounds cool.

 

[wablondie98664]

lol i would hand feed it, but i dont see it anywhere, dont know how it could have gotten out, no way for that to heppen, and i really dont think the fish would have eatin him, but im planing on getting like 3 more next week or soon after, so maybe that will get him to come out with new shrimp going in with him.

 

[wablondie98664]

WOOHOO, he is alive, saw him last night, but before i could try and feed him he hide again, but atleast he is alive.