Kuekenthali Peppermint Shrimp Behavior

[therealraf02]

My lysmata kuekenthali has been pretty much cryptic since adding it, at least until i added my cleaner shrimp recently. I have been able to observe it more during the day time now, and it seems that it might have a little appetite for more than just the typical peppermint shrimp, unless picking at RFA is common in the other species as well? If so, i'm not too surprised, but what surprised me today was catching it drag a nassarius (still alive btw) into its cave and pick at it. Here's the footage i was able to capture:

 

[therealraf02]

 

[therealraf02]

Bump!

 

[exnisstech]

Do you feed the shrimp? They've been known to go after whatever is available to survive.

 

[therealraf02]

No direct feeding, but they're both able to grab pellets as they are blasted throughout the tank by the wavemaker. I'll continue to feed regularly and monitor its behavior.

 

[whitecloud]

I have seen similar behavior. These are not your gentle standard peppermint shrimp. I have had to move mine into the sump with my mollies. One of the mollies got ripped to shreds…luckily put her in a hospital tank and fully recovered..but these guys are ravenous. They seem to breed very regularly…and I only have 2…the mollies then eat the babies in retaliation. They do not seem to touch any aptasia…and there is plenty in the sump. I have had to feed the sump as much as I do the tank now to keep everyone ‘satiated’. Mine live under the skimmer and just ‘go wild’ with any food…zig zagging all over the place. Would not recommend.

 

[therealraf02]

Yours sound like some sort of zombie shrimp gone wild luckily I have not seen my aiptasia since adding mine. I also have some curlique anemone that has not been touched. I got this guy after reading online that they seem to do a better job than the other species. I guess it depends on the individual too. Very interesting. Thanks for the insight!