Shrimp cleaning or eating anemone?

[Mdiaz2]

Well yesterday I bought an expensive ultra sunburst rock anemone and I placed him in the middle of the tank and was doing fine for a while until my peppermint shrimp started poking at him and mad him close up and the shrimp kept on sticking his little claws and sensors inside the little gap left by the anemone when it's closed. Anyway the anemone is quite stressed and every time he opens the shrimp goes back to picking at him. Now my question is... Is the shrimp eating or cleaning my new anemone?

 

[Mdiaz2]

sorry for poor quality but you can see he is all stressed

 

[Reef Junky150]

I had one eating at one of my acons. He now lives in the sump.

 

[Mdiaz2]

Anyone?

 

[NanaReefer]

Are you target feeding the Nem or shrimp? The shrimp is definitely not cleaning the Nem. The Nem could be expelling waste which is attracting the shrimp.

 

[Mdiaz2]

Are you target feeding the Nem or shrimp? The shrimp is definitely not cleaning the Nem. The Nem could be expelling waste which is attracting the shrimp.

no havent gotten the chance to, i got the anemone yesterday

 

[NanaReefer]

no havent gotten the chance to, i got the anemone yesterday

In that case I'm thinking the Nem is acclimating to change and expelling waste. The shrimp is eating that waste. You should watch those shrimp go after fish poop! Lol

 

[Miracl3]

peppermint shrimp are also known to eat aiptasia. just throwing that out there!

 

[KorD]

Thats a good reason I do not have peppermint shrimp anymore.. I only keep two anemone shrimp in my tank.
I once had a peppermint shrimp kill off 70% of my cic... he was a real mean bugger if I say so.

 

[Mdiaz2]

Thanks for all the help guys hopefully he's just cleaning the nem

 

[Trex]

IMO/E, the shrimp will continue to pick on it, best to remove the shrimp.

In the past I have had a peppermint shrimp that would go after an S. haddoni, which is a heck of a lot stickier than an E. quadricolor and packs a stronger sting too.

I will never have peppermint shrimp(s) in the same tank as anemones again.