Shrimps stealing coral's food

[minordetails]

I recently got some candy cane corals and have tried feeding them small pieces of freeze dried shrimp. However, the food floats so its a bit of a pain. So I figured out how to get it to them, but now my shrimps in the tank, mostly a peppermint shrimp, keeps stealing the food right from them. I feed him a piece but after a few minutes he either loses it or lets it go, then just goes over to the coral and takes it right out of their "mouth". Any ideas how to feed them without the shrimp stealing it? Is this common?
Anyone know how long it takes the corals to digest food? Wondering if even when I see that the corals have completely covered the food up, if the shrimp can steal it from them in the middle of the night before its gone.

 

[snakeblitz33]

You shouldn't be feeding freeze dried foods to corals. Try frozen foods, like mysis. If your shrimp is hungry, he'll steal whatever he can to survive. Make sure you're feeding your shrimp and your coral enough. All coral also benefit from feeding live phytoplankton. You can buy it refrigerated. DT's brand is what I use.
You could also try putting a glass bowl over the coral after you feed it, just until it's finished eating. That trick is quite common with sun corals.
Most caulestrea coral benefit from small infrequent meaty feedings. I've had much success with regular DT's phytoplankton and a good light source. I've very rarely fed my candy canes or trumpets. If you look at them at night time, it looks like their guts spill out, it's just filter feeding tentacles and you shouldn't be alarmed. lol

 

[1guydude]

u can cut the top part of a bottle such as a gadorade bottle and prick a hole in the cap, than take some fish line to the hole so u can pull it out...thats wat i do with my sun coral! Shrimp aint stupid so if he sees or smells the food....hes gonna eat it lol...
+1 on the frozens foods!

 

[minordetails]

Cool thanks guys. Figures, I was trying to decide between frozen and freeze dried and figured freeze dried would just be simpler. So much for taking the easy route haha!
Yeah I feed the candy canes at night when their feeders are out, pretty cool stuff. I wasn't sure if I should feed them at all or not, but read a few articles that said they would benefit from being fed a few times per week or something.
I'll have to try covering them, just can't tell how much they're actually getting to eat.
Thanks!