ID on Peppermint Shrimp

[GHayes]

I purchased a Peppermint Shrimp to help out with some aiptasia. I ill-advisedly let AN aiptasia that came in on some added rock remain because I didn't have but a couple of corals. Now that I have expanded my coral collection, with more planned, I looked deeper and found some smaller ones on my rocks. I tried the epoxy over them. But a smaller of the two was on the sand line on one of my base rocks. The other was in a medium size "pit" on the top of that rock. I wasn't able to get the epoxy over the one on the side good enough and it popped out underneath the epoxy. I didn't get the pit covered good enough and evidently left a crack that the aiptasia saw light from and came out. Go figger, I know. I think that all I did was to make them mad at me. They signed a contract with one another and decided to spit out some smaller aiptasia onto another rock. I will now likely find more.

I thought I was getting an L. wurdemanni but I am doubting now. So, I have the shrimp in the back chamber of my AIO sump (Coralife Biocube 32) until I find out for sure. I am thinking, from the pictures I saw of six different species of Peppermint Shrimp that it is possible that I do have the right kind of Peppermint Shrimp. However, I want to make sure because I do not want a coral or snail snipping monster on my hands. Things that make me believe it is a L. wurdemanni is that the rostrom (?) on mine is closed/together as opposed to open/separated as in the pictures I have seen. But this may just be a timing of the photographs I have taken and have looked at. My shrimp also has shorter pincers in comparison to the length of its rostrom (?) in comparison to an L. borgessi which is the most common Peppermint shrimp sold according to some sources. Mine also has white tips on its pincers, at least the one that shows in the photo. Here are a couple of pictures I took. BTW, I found out the growth under its carapace was a parasitic isopod. It has been removed and destroyed. I think I heard Shrimpy say, "Thanks Big Guy!" after I took it off. It wasn't too happy being caught (shrimp nor isopod) though.

 

[Matt_M_414]

I have found a few videos of peppermints eating aptasia and they are always in groups. You may have the correct kind just not enough of them? Always the option that it prefers your fish food over aptasia also.

 

[GHayes]

I have found a few videos of peppermints eating aptasia and they are always in groups. You may have the correct kind just not enough of them? Always the option that it prefers your fish food over aptasia also.

Thank you. I will release it from the back chamber to the DT and keep an eye on it.

 

[coralSLover]

I purchased a Peppermint Shrimp to help out with some aiptasia. I ill-advisedly let AN aiptasia that came in on some added rock remain because I didn't have but a couple of corals. Now that I have expanded my coral collection, with more planned, I looked deeper and found some smaller ones on my rocks. I tried the epoxy over them. But a smaller of the two was on the sand line on one of my base rocks. The other was in a medium size "pit" on the top of that rock. I wasn't able to get the epoxy over the one on the side good enough and it popped out underneath the epoxy. I didn't get the pit covered good enough and evidently left a crack that the aiptasia saw light from and came out. Go figger, I know. I think that all I did was to make them mad at me. They signed a contract with one another and decided to spit out some smaller aiptasia onto another rock. I will now likely find more.

I thought I was getting an L. wurdemanni but I am doubting now. So, I have the shrimp in the back chamber of my AIO sump (Coralife Biocube 32) until I find out for sure. I am thinking, from the pictures I saw of six different species of Peppermint Shrimp that it is possible that I do have the right kind of Peppermint Shrimp. However, I want to make sure because I do not want a coral or snail snipping monster on my hands. Things that make me believe it is a L. wurdemanni is that the rostrom (?) on mine is closed/together as opposed to open/separated as in the pictures I have seen. But this may just be a timing of the photographs I have taken and have looked at. My shrimp also has shorter pincers in comparison to the length of its rostrom (?) in comparison to an L. borgessi which is the most common Peppermint shrimp sold according to some sources. Mine also has white tips on its pincers, at least the one that shows in the photo. Here are a couple of pictures I took. BTW, I found out the growth under its carapace was a parasitic isopod. It has been removed and destroyed. I think I heard Shrimpy say, "Thanks Big Guy!" after I took it off. It wasn't too happy being caught (shrimp nor isopod) though.

You’re not alone — epoxy usually just makes Aiptasia angry and helps them spread.

Lysmata wurdemanni is the only peppermint that consistently eats Aiptasia. Many “peppermints” sold are L. boggessi or Rathbunae, which often ignore it. White-tipped claws and shorter pincers can still be wurdemanni, but behavior matters more than looks.

Best test: don’t target feed the shrimp for a few days and see if it goes after Aiptasia at night.

Peppermints are hit-or-miss. Some never touch Aiptasia at all.

More reliable options:

Copperband Butterflyfish – very effective if healthy and eating (needs a mature tank and careful acclimation).

Aiptasia-eating filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus) – effective but may nip some corals.

Berghia nudibranchs – safest for corals, but slow and need stable conditions.

For now, I’d avoid more epoxy and let the biological solution do the work. If the shrimp is the right species, you should start seeing smaller Aiptasia disappear first within a couple of weeks.

Good luck — once they’re gone, staying ahead of new rock introductions is the real win.

 

[GHayes]

You’re not alone — epoxy usually just makes Aiptasia angry and helps them spread.

Lysmata wurdemanni is the only peppermint that consistently eats Aiptasia. Many “peppermints” sold are L. boggessi or Rathbunae, which often ignore it. White-tipped claws and shorter pincers can still be wurdemanni, but behavior matters more than looks.

Best test: don’t target feed the shrimp for a few days and see if it goes after Aiptasia at night.

...

Yeah. I figure the only thing I accomplished with the epoxy was to infuriate the two I had. This morning I found at least three tiny ones on some other rock. GRRRR!

Especially any rocks or invertebrates I buy at my local fish store. The main saltwater person who is a manager, I think, doesn't think aiptasia are that bad. So there are some pretty big ones in their invert and coral tanks. I always dip any corals for twenty-five to thirty minutes in double strength Reef Dip by Seachem.

I wasn't too worried when it was just the one until I started adding more corals, especially when I put some zoa frags fairly close to the aiptasia. Don't want my nice corals to get zapped as they grow.