This goes BEYOND bizaare!

[Aquarius Lady]

I went into my room to turn on the actinics in my nano reef and what did I see?? I saw my PEPPERMINT SHRIMP, attacking and killing my Anenome crab!! :eek2:
Yep, he was perfectly healthy just a few hours ago, but I walk in there, and the shrimp has him and is literally PEELING him alive and eating him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (The crab is like 3 TIMES the size of the shrimp!!!!) I tried to dive around and grab the damn shrimp but he is too fast and dove into the crevices dragging his still struggling meal with him :(
That shrimp has a limited life span now.... As soon as I can grab him, he's getting the great Freshwater Swirly of a lifetime.
I had mistakenly thought that my Mithrax crab was pulling the legs off the others, but I think (after what I witnessed) it was the shrimp. He seems to wait until ANY crab is molting and then BANG!!!!! He pounces and eats it alive (Hermit, Anenome or Mithrax) :(
Have any of you ever seen one get so CARNIVOROUS???? I mean good grief!!!! This thing is like the "pit bull" of shrimps!
I hope he enjoys his "expensive" treat, it's the last he gets.
(And here I thought they were reef safe!!) I have seen him go after small coral polyps as well. (And yes, this shrimp gets plenty of food). He probably ate my small star fish as well....
:::::sigh::::::
Anyone else ever have a shrimp go "serial killer" on them??

[Fishtale7]

Very strange, maybe his mother dropped him on his head.

[greg s]

yep, i had a peppermint eat 2 clams...i got up one day
and he had eatin all of the meat on and around the foot...
then did the same thing to one that was on a rock
for about 8 mnths the next night...for me to catch
him would mean me taking down the tank...so i had to
step up there feeding w/ pellet food...they love it
and since then i hardly ever see any of the 5 that i have..
just a thought..i would directly feed them..Greg

[greg s]

opps sorry didnt see the food part of your post!!
sounds like he has "issues" LOL...Greg

[oceanarus]

You sure it wasn't just cleaning the empty molted shell?

Anyway, don't kill him yet, I've been looking for one (none of the LFSs have 'em right now) since I have a couple of small aiptasias popping up in my 26.

[Aquarius Lady]

Originally posted by oceanarus
You sure it wasn't just cleaning the empty molted shell?

Anyway, don't kill him yet, I've been looking for one (none of the LFSs have 'em right now) since I have a couple of small aiptasias popping up in my 26.

Actually I managed to catch him today and took him down to Tideline, where they have like 10 others <G> So if you can get there this weekend, you should be able to get one. Sorry I didn't see your post earlier :(

Oh, the crab was alive alright. No molted shell :( It was an awful site, as the crab was fighting and struggling and trying to attack the shrimp. The Shrimp finally impaled him and was running around in the crevices dragging his victim with him. :(

[minfinger]

Maybe we should switch to fighting shrimp instead of crabs!!!

[Aquarius Lady]

Heck, fight them both <G> ;) They both can be onery!!! This one tho had just really taken a walk off the map! Just as bold, insane as can be (even for a shrimp!) the day I caught him he was stalking my Clown Goby!!!!!!

[skipm]

What! stalking a clown goby! That offense is punishable by a slow death (especially since they are my favorite fish).

[Aquarius Lady]

Skip-
The neat clown goby with the playful personality is fine and well and continueing to hang out ontop of his favorite 'Shroom ;) (Like somthing outta an underwater Alice in Wonderland!) The
"Jack the Ripper" Peppermint Shrimp now lives at Tideline, until he is purchased by someone. He is a BIG boy, the biggest one there. If you see him, be afraid...Be very afraid!
Muhahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahaha......