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View Full Version : All kinda of shrimp questions & answers

ralphie16
10/04/2006, 01:58 PM
I would like to get some cleaner shrimp in a tank. I am sure a lot of you have similar questions as I have so maybe some can learn from this thread besides me.

My tank will have community type fish (one blenny and one 6 line wrasse, maybe or maybe not a clown).

Lets go down the list of some common shrimp.

Peppermint shrimp.
I wanted to get these shrimp but after some research I have learned that these are not that great for our tropical tanks. They are cold water shrimp and prefer temps in the 50s and 60s. I do not want to put a living thing in a situation that could harm it so I will not bother with this shrimp anymore.
*sidenote: I believe the same is true for the "margarita" snail in that it is a cold water specimen and slowly 'cooks' in a tropical tank,

Camel Shrimp (dancing shrimp)
I like to get some camel shrimp (dancing shrimp). I have learned they are found to be living in large groups in the oceans so I think putting a small group of them together would make an interesting and nice looking display. They are nocturnal and secretive so they will hide on you and be difficult to see at times.
Does anyone know if they should be in even numbers or it doesn't matter? How many would be appropriate for a 30 gallon tank? 55 gallon?

Coral banded shrimp.
I have learned that these shrimp are very active in the aquarium setting and will actually attack and kill other shrimp within their territory, which will become the entire aquarium soon enough. They can be kept in mated pairs though. So basically if someone gets this shrimp they can't get any other kinds of shrimp right?Can someone chime in with some more info on them please?

Now how about compatabiity with the 6 line wrasse and the camel shrimp? I have heard stories from both sides, meaning some 6 lines will eat small shrimp and others wont but they will be at risk if the wrasse is much larger then the shrimp. Am I far off base here?
theatrus
10/04/2006, 03:12 PM
Peppermints are also from tropical regions, but are nocturnal.

My suggestion would be for a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. Very active during all hours of the day (even cleans your hand).

6 line is fine with all types of shrimp if they're bigger than a mysis :)
bertoni
10/04/2006, 03:46 PM
There are peppermint shrimps from tropical regions. The term "peppermint" is used for a fair number of species, not just one. Lysmata wurdemanni is an example of a tropical "peppermint".

Most "camel shrimp" are not reef-safe, but are otherwise fine. The label gets applied to a few different species, although it really shouldn't.

The skunk cleaners (often L. amboinensis) are the most active to human eyes. I also like the fire shrimp (L. debelius), although they tend to hide more.

Coral-banded shrimp sometimes are aggressive, so I wouldn't keep one, but some people are successful with them, even mixing them with other shrimp.
stace11
10/04/2006, 04:51 PM
Well, I guess my shrimps are weird :D . My peppermint shrimp (peppermint pat) has claimed a "tunnel" in the rock behind the "cave" my fire shrimp (big red) claimed. However, both come flying out into the open when I come home from work at 3:30 in the afternoon; big ol beggars. Then they hot lap around the tank looking for munchies pretty much until bedtime at 8. They are not shy at all and really come to life when someone comes over to stare or walks by.

In fact, big red has taken to arguing with the nassarius snails over who's gonna get a nibble of squid.

I've only had them since August but they seem happy and healthy, it's about 80 degrees now that the heat wave has ended, we were hovering around 85 for a while there.

stace
Sk8r
10/04/2006, 05:04 PM
My peppermint is out at all hours if there's food involved. He loves sinking pellets.

I recommend them as neat and easy to keep.

I also have 2 bumblebee shrimp, the size of a horsefly, that prey on pest starfish and urchins. My hardworking urchin is annoyed but far from injured: they nip urchin feet, but he has so many he copes with their attentions just fine.
ralphie16
10/04/2006, 06:20 PM
Do any of the shrimp mentioned bother sea star or brittle stars?
yeame
10/04/2006, 09:19 PM
the 6 line might not like any shrimp or like them to much any way
IPowderBlueTang
10/04/2006, 10:05 PM
I had a Sixline wrasse it decided to eat all my shrimps 2 skunk cleaner and 4 peppermint shrimp. One by one until all was gone. So be careful if you get one that is a shrimp eater!
IslandCrow
10/04/2006, 10:57 PM
Do any of you know how to tell the diffence between a cold water and tropical peppermint shrimp. I've had four at various times in my aquarium, and they've all mysteriously disappeared. They did, however do a good job on the aptasia in my tank while I had them, so I'd like to get more, but I don't want them to just end up dead in a few weeks. I'm now wondering if I got a cold water variety.
Sk8r
10/04/2006, 11:36 PM
Bumblebee shrimp eat the sucker feet off starfish and urchins, but they're so tiny, these shrimp, that only asterinas are actually damaged by this activity.
noxiousdog
10/05/2006, 08:35 AM
Peppermint shrimp.
I wanted to get these shrimp but after some research I have learned that these are not that great for our tropical tanks. They are cold water shrimp and prefer temps in the 50s and 60s. I do not want to put a living thing in a situation that could harm it so I will not bother with this shrimp anymore.

I don't know that I agree with that. The MARSH (Houston) forums (http://www.marshreef.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=16644) have a thread about collecting Peppermint shimp in Galveston. The average water temperature there (http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/wgof.html) is above 75 from May-October.
candlebizlover
10/05/2006, 09:15 AM
I have 3 pep's in my 30gc reef & my experience with them is that they have been a great addition as part of my clean-up crew. I don't see them much since I added a Coral Beauty, but at feeding time they all hover under a rock with their tentacles sticking out collecting the tiny bits of food from the water column & sand.
pogiboy67
10/05/2006, 09:36 AM
do u guys qurantine your shrimp b4 putting them in main tank?
ericwebster
10/05/2006, 09:41 AM
I have a coral branded, 3 peppermints and a clearner shrimp.

The main problem I have with all these shrimp is they steal dinner from my anemone all the time!!

They all seem to get along because they all get out of the way of the coral branded and there is tons of rock work.

The peppermints cleaned all the aptasia off the rockwork and my tank hovers round the 80-81 degree range.