quiltingmom
Member
My peppermint shrimp is eating my frogspawn coral!
What the heck!
What the heck!
poor frogspawn coral
- Thread starter quiltingmom
- Start date
katsafados
Active Member
Originally Posted by QuiltingMom
http:///forum/post/3137103
My peppermint shrimp is eating my frogspawn coral!
What the heck!
In the sump goes the peppermint!
http:///forum/post/3137103
My peppermint shrimp is eating my frogspawn coral!
What the heck!
In the sump goes the peppermint!
florida joe
Well-Known Member
Are you sure it is eating your coral. They are not known to do this. What I have seen happen is a hobbyist feeds their inhabitants and food gets lodged within the polyps of coral and the shrimp appear to be eating the coral when in fact they are eating the trapped food. The polyps react to the shrimp and retract
meowzer
Moderator
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3137220
Are you sure it is eating your coral. They are not known to do this. What I have seen happen is a hobbyist feeds their inhabitants and food gets lodged within the polyps of coral and the shrimp appear to be eating the coral when in fact they are eating the trapped food. The polyps react to the shrimp and retract
That's funny that this came up...this morning I saw an emerald crab in a group of polyps...Looked just like it was eating them...I watched closely...and the crab NEVER touched a polyp...it was actually picking out stuff from between them....
Of course the polyps closed when touched, making it appear that the emerald was doing something to them....
http:///forum/post/3137220
Are you sure it is eating your coral. They are not known to do this. What I have seen happen is a hobbyist feeds their inhabitants and food gets lodged within the polyps of coral and the shrimp appear to be eating the coral when in fact they are eating the trapped food. The polyps react to the shrimp and retract
Of course the polyps closed when touched, making it appear that the emerald was doing something to them....
quiltingmom
Member
Actually, I watched the shrimp pull on the polyps this morning. By this afternoon it looked like all the polyps were coming off starting on one end working its way over to the other side. That's when I took it out. Unless it has something to do with my following problem......
My nitrates have been at 20 for a couple of days. I've made 2 water changes so far and will continue to do so daily until it goes down. I barely feed the fish right now (2 flakes twice a day for 2 clowns, a pajama cardinal, a watchman goby and the 2 evil shrimp to share). I always check my ammonia and my nitrites as well. They have both been at 0 the whole time. That's what I find confusing. If the nitrates are consistenly this high shouldn't the ammonia and the nitrites also go up?
My nitrates have been at 20 for a couple of days. I've made 2 water changes so far and will continue to do so daily until it goes down. I barely feed the fish right now (2 flakes twice a day for 2 clowns, a pajama cardinal, a watchman goby and the 2 evil shrimp to share). I always check my ammonia and my nitrites as well. They have both been at 0 the whole time. That's what I find confusing. If the nitrates are consistenly this high shouldn't the ammonia and the nitrites also go up?
quiltingmom
Member
I feed frozen mysis shrimp once a week and I have tons of copepods. And the get 2 flakes twice a day. According to my fish store that's plenty, considering that their stomachs are the size of their eyes!
florida joe
Well-Known Member
According to my fish store that's plenty, considering that their stomachs are the size of their eyes
Time to find a new LFS
Time to find a new LFS
quiltingmom
Member
Ok, so how much do you guys feed?
meowzer
Moderator
Originally Posted by QuiltingMom
http:///forum/post/3137327
Ok, so how much do you guys feed?
Well IDK what size tank you have, but with the fish you have in there I would feed at least one frozen cube daily
EX: In my 54G with 2 clowns, 2 yellow clown gobies, 1 firefish, 1 6-line, 3 peppermints...something else..lol
I feed 2 cubes a day....and once a week I toss in a pinch of formula 2 pellets...or Thera +A pellets
http:///forum/post/3137327
Ok, so how much do you guys feed?
Well IDK what size tank you have, but with the fish you have in there I would feed at least one frozen cube daily
EX: In my 54G with 2 clowns, 2 yellow clown gobies, 1 firefish, 1 6-line, 3 peppermints...something else..lol
I feed 2 cubes a day....and once a week I toss in a pinch of formula 2 pellets...or Thera +A pellets
quiltingmom
Member
I have a 40G tank, 2 young clowns, a young watchman goby, 2 peppermint shrimp, a young pajama cardinal, a few snails and, I think, 8 small hermits. I'm worried about my nitrate levels, though....
stanlalee
Active Member
twice a day with flakes is PLENTY of food. too much if you ask me for what you have BUT it just so happens flakes suck (in terms of preserving water quality, sinking, phosphates ect). Now naturally just flakes and mysis once a week lacks variety but twice a day with a staple flake or pellet will certaintly meet their nutritional requirements if they are eating it. My fish get fed every other day (either frozen mussels, krill, mysis or squid and formula two pellets when I'm too lazy to grade off the cube...and a single cube last me WEEKS. grading off a small corner is plenty for my sixline, false perc and gramma. I would NEVER use a whole cube a day and even when I had 4 anthias, a midas blenny and two tangs I didn't use but a fourth of a cube daily in their twice a day feedings. seperate algae sheets for the tangs of course).
Your peppermint shrimp is eating your coral because sometimes they do plain and simple. seems like every 3 months somebody complains about this. I've had peppermint shrimp and they never tried to eat any corals. most peoples dont just like most peoples tangs and foxface dont but some do. Peppermint shrimp are MUCH more likely than alot of fish we chance on eating corals. After all they are often bought to eat stinging aitapsia anemone's so the occasional specimen attempting a coral shouldn't suprise anyone.
Just remove it or take it back. I hope you didn't just watch a $5 shrimp down your frogspawn with no intervention. I had a sallylight foot eat some zooanthid and he was gone within 10 minutes and I had to tear the tank apart to catch it.
Your peppermint shrimp is eating your coral because sometimes they do plain and simple. seems like every 3 months somebody complains about this. I've had peppermint shrimp and they never tried to eat any corals. most peoples dont just like most peoples tangs and foxface dont but some do. Peppermint shrimp are MUCH more likely than alot of fish we chance on eating corals. After all they are often bought to eat stinging aitapsia anemone's so the occasional specimen attempting a coral shouldn't suprise anyone.
Just remove it or take it back. I hope you didn't just watch a $5 shrimp down your frogspawn with no intervention. I had a sallylight foot eat some zooanthid and he was gone within 10 minutes and I had to tear the tank apart to catch it.
quiltingmom
Member
Thank god, stanlalee!
I thought I was nuts and everything I've read and heard was wrong! I also believe a whole cube of the frozen mysis shrimp is too much. The flakes I feed are called "Aquadine". I don't know if this info helps. I will keep an eye on my shrimp, if they bother anything else, they will be removed. It's too late for the frogspawn unfortunately.
However, I still don't understand why my nitrate level is so high, yet I have never seen my ammonia and nitrite levels go up.
I thought I was nuts and everything I've read and heard was wrong! I also believe a whole cube of the frozen mysis shrimp is too much. The flakes I feed are called "Aquadine". I don't know if this info helps. I will keep an eye on my shrimp, if they bother anything else, they will be removed. It's too late for the frogspawn unfortunately.
However, I still don't understand why my nitrate level is so high, yet I have never seen my ammonia and nitrite levels go up.
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by QuiltingMom
http:///forum/post/3137335
However, I still don't understand why my nitrate level is so high, yet I have never seen my ammonia and nitrite levels go up.
Originally Posted by Stanlalee
http:///forum/post/3137332
flakes suck (in terms of preserving water quality, sinking, phosphates ect).
you shouldn't see ammonia or nitrites ever after the tank has cycled and biologically capable of sustaining your livestock. High nitrates and no rise in ammonia and nitrite just means the biological filtration is effective at breaking those down. You can have nitrates in the hundreds and still should have no rise in ammonia/nitrite. I really believe its the flakes combined with twice a day feeding although I dont really know what sort of water change schedule and filtration system you have which could also be a factor.
http:///forum/post/3137335
However, I still don't understand why my nitrate level is so high, yet I have never seen my ammonia and nitrite levels go up.
Originally Posted by Stanlalee
http:///forum/post/3137332
flakes suck (in terms of preserving water quality, sinking, phosphates ect).
you shouldn't see ammonia or nitrites ever after the tank has cycled and biologically capable of sustaining your livestock. High nitrates and no rise in ammonia and nitrite just means the biological filtration is effective at breaking those down. You can have nitrates in the hundreds and still should have no rise in ammonia/nitrite. I really believe its the flakes combined with twice a day feeding although I dont really know what sort of water change schedule and filtration system you have which could also be a factor.
quiltingmom
Member
I did my first water change yesterday when I tested and found that my nitrates were at 20. I did another water change today and still the same nitrate level. I've only had fish in it for about a week and a half. If the nitrates are ok like this and won't harm my new buddies then I'll leave it alone. I still test daily and plan on doing a 10% water change every other week. Starting tomorrow I will only feed once a day and see what happens. And I will certainly keep an eye on those shrimp!
As for my filter; it's an 'AquaClear' Filter for tanks 40-70 Gallons and it hangs over the back of the tank. It has 3 different filters: Foam (mechanical), active carbon(chemical) and biomax(biological) pebbles.
As for my filter; it's an 'AquaClear' Filter for tanks 40-70 Gallons and it hangs over the back of the tank. It has 3 different filters: Foam (mechanical), active carbon(chemical) and biomax(biological) pebbles.
meowzer
Moderator
Originally Posted by chaseter
http:///forum/post/3137620
2 flakes! No wonder why your shrimp are eating your coral.
LOL..That's what I tried to say
http:///forum/post/3137620
2 flakes! No wonder why your shrimp are eating your coral.
LOL..That's what I tried to say
chaseter
Member
Originally Posted by QuiltingMom
http:///forum/post/3137375
I did my first water change yesterday when I tested and found that my nitrates were at 20. I did another water change today and still the same nitrate level. I've only had fish in it for about a week and a half. If the nitrates are ok like this and won't harm my new buddies then I'll leave it alone. I still test daily and plan on doing a 10% water change every other week. Starting tomorrow I will only feed once a day and see what happens. And I will certainly keep an eye on those shrimp!
As for my filter; it's an 'AquaClear' Filter for tanks 40-70 Gallons and it hangs over the back of the tank. It has 3 different filters: Foam (mechanical), active carbon(chemical) and biomax(biological) pebbles.
If your tank hasn't been running that long, then it is trying to adjust to the bioload. Your trates will go down over time. I also suggest doing weekly water changes if you don't have a protein skimmer or a refugium.
I also suggest you get Chemipure Elite and Purigen. Your foam filter isn't really doing anything but only trapping the bad stuff and keeping it in it. It isn't neutralizing it or getting rid of anything.
http:///forum/post/3137375
I did my first water change yesterday when I tested and found that my nitrates were at 20. I did another water change today and still the same nitrate level. I've only had fish in it for about a week and a half. If the nitrates are ok like this and won't harm my new buddies then I'll leave it alone. I still test daily and plan on doing a 10% water change every other week. Starting tomorrow I will only feed once a day and see what happens. And I will certainly keep an eye on those shrimp!
As for my filter; it's an 'AquaClear' Filter for tanks 40-70 Gallons and it hangs over the back of the tank. It has 3 different filters: Foam (mechanical), active carbon(chemical) and biomax(biological) pebbles.
If your tank hasn't been running that long, then it is trying to adjust to the bioload. Your trates will go down over time. I also suggest doing weekly water changes if you don't have a protein skimmer or a refugium.
I also suggest you get Chemipure Elite and Purigen. Your foam filter isn't really doing anything but only trapping the bad stuff and keeping it in it. It isn't neutralizing it or getting rid of anything.
chaseter
Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3137622
LOL..That's what I tried to say
Each of my shrimp eat more than 2 flakes each time I feed and they are more than happy.
http:///forum/post/3137622
LOL..That's what I tried to say
Each of my shrimp eat more than 2 flakes each time I feed and they are more than happy.
meowzer
Moderator
Originally Posted by chaseter
http:///forum/post/3137633
Each of my shrimp eat more than 2 flakes each time I feed and they are more than happy.
ok....you don't feed your whole tank just 2 measly flakes do you?
mine get mysis, + other good meaty foods....and a heck of a lot more than 2 pieces
http:///forum/post/3137633
Each of my shrimp eat more than 2 flakes each time I feed and they are more than happy.
ok....you don't feed your whole tank just 2 measly flakes do you?
mine get mysis, + other good meaty foods....and a heck of a lot more than 2 pieces