THIS aiptasia killer got MOST VOTES but be careful, you might not have the REAL thing!

[revhtree]

Earlier this week we had a poll here where you voted on the best eradicator or aiptasia anemones! To my surprise the peppermint shrimp edged out the berghia nudibranch by over 4%. Needless to say both of these natural aiptasia predators will do the job. But since the peppermint shrimp won the total votes let's talk about making sure that when you purchase a peppermint shrimp that you're actually not just getting a cheap knock off of the real thing!

According this this study the real peppermint shrimp is a Lysmata wurdemanni.

1. Have you ever gotten a "peppermint shrimp" and now believe it wasn't a true peppermint shrimp?

2. Are you willing to give peppermint shrimp another try at eradicating aiptasia now that you know what the real one looks like?

THE REAL PEPPERMINT SHRIMP IS THE LETTER..........A

Screenshot via the study A WESTERN ATLANTIC PEPPERMINT SHRIMP COMPLEX

 

[redfishbluefish]

Wow! I never knew. Thanks for sharing. And I just purchased a so called peppermint two weeks ago, and I'm not sure which one I have. After acclimating and adding to the DT, I haven't seen him at all.

 

[Sharkbait19]

That is not what mine looked like lol. What is C? That looked more like mine and it loved Xenia.
I probably won’t try again with peppermint, I don’t have any aptasia and prefer skunks. I actually have a hard time keeping shrimp alive as is due to likely low iodide level.
My psycho emerald does a good job at removing bad hitchhikers anyway.

 

[Billldg]

I have bought Peppermint Shrimp from Algae Barn and they did eat aiptasia, but they don't venture far from their local area of residence, so they will not clear out a tank full of aiptasia. That's what I have seen in my tank.

@redfishbluefish, I didn't even know I had any of them left until a few months later I just happen to see it. The love to hide.

 

[Panama Brown]

Until I get this Melanus wrasse out of my tank, Im not adding another shrimp lol ;Spam

 

[JAKos]

If my wrasse says yes maybe lol

 

[RGC]

Mine ate aiptasia and if I didnt keep them fed, ate my branching hammer. Off to the sump they went never to be seen. I will pay the extra $$ for berghia nudibranch

 

[ZoWhat]

A, C and F ..... tastes like Chicken

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

My peppermints from Algae Barn did a great job on my aiptasia. The only reason I'd be hesitant to try them again is that one of them did end up going after a coral after being in the tank for the better part of a year.

They really do hide out during the day. For the first couple weeks that I had mine I was sure one of them didn't make it, and for a long time I'd just catch glimpses of antennae during the day. They are bolder now but are still only really active at night.

Had them over a year now and they spawn regularly. Cool critters and I enjoy watching them but after Big Mama goes I probably won't replace her, I'd rather be able to put my birdsnest back in the tank. Just hope I don't get aiptasia again because they really did a great job.

 

[Rocketfish]

I had a real peppermint shrimp (A) and it used to pick on my acans and torches and leave the aptaisa alone... Berghia worked for me, but bristleworms prevented them from reproducing properly, and I think my yellow coris wrasse eventually finished them off.

Nothing is absolutely perfect, and different things work in different tanks. In my experience, berghia worked best and peppermint shrimp were too opportunistic on other corals.

 

[saltyhog]

Nope, my Filefish are too efficient to depend on a supplier or my ability to distinguish (even with these great pictures) the "real" peppermint shrimp.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I found this info fascinating and went to one of the large online retails (no names mentioned), to find out they sourced from two different suppliers. One was listed as the genus and species, Lysmata wurdemanni, while the other listed genus only, Lysmata sp. But surprisingly the picture used was exactly the same, and it didn't look like a wurdemanni to me.

 

[Koigula]

Earlier this week we had a poll here where you voted on the best eradicator or aiptasia anemones! To my surprise the peppermint shrimp edged out the berghia nudibranch by over 4%. Needless to say both of these natural aiptasia predators will do the job. But since the peppermint shrimp won the total votes let's talk about making sure that when you purchase a peppermint shrimp that you're actually not just getting a cheap knock off of the real thing!

According this this study the real peppermint shrimp is a Lysmata wurdemanni.

1. Have you ever gotten a "peppermint shrimp" and now believe it wasn't a true peppermint shrimp?

2. Are you willing to give peppermint shrimp another try at eradicating aiptasia now that you know what the real one looks like?

THE REAL PEPPERMINT SHRIMP IS THE LETTER..........A

Screenshot via the study A WESTERN ATLANTIC PEPPERMINT SHRIMP COMPLEX

Do they all eat aptasia? Collectors and hobbyists will all be confused by these subspecies.

 

[CavalierReef]

Two peppermint shrimp from Salty Bottom Reef took care of my Aiptasia problem that came in on a pipe organ coral. I haven't had an issue with them eating zoas or hammers yet. I'll certainly keep an eye on them.

 

[NashobaTek]

Depends on what I have in the tank, but probably not.

 

[RGC]

Two peppermint shrimp from Salty Bottom Reef took care of my Aiptasia problem that came in on a pipe organ coral. I haven't had an issue with them eating zoas or hammers yet. I'll certainly keep an eye on them.

Just ensure when you feed, they get some. Once I ensured they were fed, they left my corals alone

 

[rhostam]

No. I might reconsider when I have to face aptasia. But the risk is misidentifying bogessi for a wurdemanni is too great of a concern. They're too clever and irritate corals occasionally trying to get them to regurgitate food even when food falls right in front of their cave. They treat corals like duncans like pez depensers.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Great info. I would also like to see what C is as that is what my "peppermint shrimp" that don't eat aptasia look like.

 

[Mark Gray]

I hate peppermint shrimp

 

[revhtree]

Thanks for the feedback so far!