Peppermint shrimp hiding

[Mantoots]

I got a peppermint shrimp the other day to get rid of my aiptasia but he's just been hiding for two days now, is this normal?

 

[ziggy]

yeah it will take a little time for him to get comfortable to the surroundings

 

[Mantoots]

Phew lol thought he was just hiding from me

 

[Reef Commando]

Don't be surprised if you rarely see it. Mine used to be around more after the lights had gone off.

 

[Oxylebius]

They are nocturnal, so your best bet seeing it is in the mornings and evenings (and at night). As others have mentioned, they are also shy. Give it time.

 

[Mantoots]

I'm just hoping he'll get his backside in gear and get shut of the aiptasia

 

[Oxylebius]

If the aiptasia is big and your shrimp is small (young) it won't go for them. But, give it time. Hopefully you got the correct species of peppermint shrimp and it goes for them. There are many species out there and only a few are known to go for aiptasia anemones....



Image credit: http://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/27306/27306.pdf - pg 196

 

[Mantoots]

It looks most like A on the pic

 

[goma]

Mine hides most times and comes out when I feed.

 

[Mantoots]

He's just popped out and shed its shell!!!!

 

[goma]

They molt periodically.

 

[ziggy]

He's just popped out and shed its shell!!!!

Cool. That must be exciting for you.

 

[Mantoots]

I wondered what it was doing then his shell popped off and he hid again, he seems to have lost a long feeler in the process

 

[Steve L]

You can go weeks and sometimes months without seeing nocturnal shrimp. I have 5 peppermints in my tank that I haven't seen for probably 2 months, and a pistol shrimp that I haven't seen in 6 months, but I know he's there because he moves a lot of sand around.

 

[ziggy]

You can go weeks and sometimes months without seeing nocturnal shrimp. I have 5 peppermints in my tank that I haven't seen for probably 2 months, and a pistol shrimp that I haven't seen in 6 months, but I know he's there because he moves a lot of sand around.

Whats the benefit of a pistol shrimp that peppermint or skunk do not fill (if any)?

 

[Steve L]

Other than a CUC there really are no benefits. I got the pistol to keep the sand bed stirred up and partner up with my gobie (which has since died), and the peppermint shrimp were added to rid my tank of aptaisa which they did.

 

[ziggy]

Other than a CUC there really are no benefits. I got the pistol to keep the sand bed stirred up and partner up with my gobie (which has since died), and the peppermint shrimp were added to rid my tank of aptaisa which they did.

Any aggressive signs with the pistol?

 

[Tarantulady]

My peppermints hide from my skunk cleaners. Sometimes they come flying out in broad daylight for an algae wafer. They like to come out at night and eat the heads off aiptasia. I have a large cave and the peppermints tend to hide in the back of it, along with my obnoxiously invisible porcelains. They come out after they've shot babies all over my tank, as well. I guess they have to eat extra to make up for all the breeding.