peppermint shrimp food?

[duke1231]

Does anyone know what I should be feeding my peppermint shrimp? They have been eating my marine flake food with garlic in it. My lfs suggested that I try it and when I decide to get my two Perculas they to can eat it as well. They do consume it when I drop on big flake in at a time. They each get one flake, and they seem to enjoy them. If flake food is okay, how much should I be feeding them. They did take care of my aptasia problem in short order.

[JustDavidP]

They eat anything... meaty, pellets, flake. They aren't picky at all. However, for those using them as "aptasia control", keep in mind...the better fed they are with commercial foods, the less likely they will feel the need to eat the aptasia.

Dave

[duke1231]

I didnt feed them at all when I first put them in the tank, and now that the aptasia is gone, I feel bad and I give them a treat 3X's a week.lol

[Ocelot199]

Mine seem to like the nori sheets I put in there for my tang. They eat pretty much everything, though.

I like how they dance around waiting for the fish to be done eating so they can come up and get some.

[graveyardworm]

I never specifically fed my peppermints, and they did pretty well on just fish food scraps. They are excellent pickers and will eat just about anything including the life in your LR and sand bed.

[Seahorsedreams]

They always manage to find food :-)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/seahorsedreams/shrimpshrimp3.jpg

[fat walrus]

Peppermint shrimps are very efficient feeders. No special care needed.

[duke1231]

When I first bought them they were very reclusive, and now when I come to the glass they come out like they are greeting me. One night I was sitting on the computer, and I looked over and saw the small one swim up to my power head sit on top and then leap into the currnet and he would ride all the way to the ground. He must have repeated that like 10 times.

[Rob]

i agree with the comments that no special care is needed..

for mine i will feed them if they pop out while im spot feeding my anemones or coral, but otherwise they get there own food..

one of the reasons here is that they are meant to be part of your clean up crew.. if you stuff them full there aren't going to do much clean up .. ;)

[graveyardworm]

They always manage to find food :-)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/seahorsedreams/shrimpshrimp3.jpg


Stealing food from your palythoa. I hated mine for stealing food. Like Ron Shimek says "The best place for a peppermint shrimp is on a ritz cracker"

[sailfin]

I don't feed mine. They eat whatever they find and they find a lot. They took care of my aptaisia and are busy eating anything and everything including flakes, pellets, and.. me. That's right. I had one walking on my arm the other night while I was trying to set yet another leather coral frag on a rock. I didn't see him there until I felt a pinch on my forearm. Are they usually aggressive? I know mine aren't particularly shy but I didn't expect that. Go figure.

[duke1231]

lol, when I bought mine the owner of my lfs got bit on her hand, while she was making sure they were true peppermint shrimp.

[graveyardworm]

They arent biting, its just in their nature to clean things, and when a dirty ole arm comes their way then its on, time to clean. They pick at your dead skin with their little claws.

[duke1231]

ohh....cool. They are entertaining little guys, and seem as ease when I am near the glass, probably looking for a hand out.

[Rob]

They arent biting, its just in their nature to clean things, and when a dirty ole arm comes their way then its on, time to clean. They pick at your dead skin with their little claws.
yes, they are actually pinching..
but there pinch is usually much more painful than a cleaner shrimp with feels funny more than anything.. ;)

[duke1231]

ugh....no thanks, hopefully they wont pinch me lol. Mine are not as deep red as the one in the above pics, does that mean poor water quality?

[Seahorsedreams]

These were medium red when we bought them. We put some in the seahorse tank and some in the reef. The ones in the reef when very pale and the ones in the reef went vibrant red. That is not a photoshopped color. I'm not exactly sure why but the water conditions are actually better in the reef than the SH tank.

The second batch I got were medium red as well except they did not get bright red like the last batch.

[Rob]

i think the color is related to how much light they get.. this is based on my pep in my clown tank that is out frequently is much darker than the ones in my frag tank which NEVER come out.. these onese are clear with only a tint of red.

nothing concrete, just an observation

[Seahorsedreams]

I would totally agree with that except for the fact I have some bright red ones in the reef and then pale ones in the reef. They are indeed all Peppermints and no imposters. Maybe if they are harvested from different areas they are more or less prone to change color in different lighting..... I'm just WAAAAAY grasping here.

[Rob]

lol.. its ok, so was i, im just glad there was someone that somewhat supported my thoughts...lol

[duke1231]

lol, your explanations sound good to me lol

[iglowce]

i dont feed mine. and mine always come out LATE at nite. but yeah im thinking of getting another to make a pair. mine always hide during the day. is that normal?

[duke1231]

I think so........I least I hope so because mine do as well. I forgot where I read it that they can be kind of reclusive as well.

[Seahorsedreams]

Whoa! I didn't realize how big that pic was.... sorry about the scroll :-)

[duke1231]

NP, nice pic thought beautiful shot.

[JustDavidP]

Pssst.... more often than not, coloring (especially reds and oranges etc.) are based upon diet (carotinoids). Now, having the same species in the same tank (therefore assuming same diet) and not having at least CLOSE to similar coloring, baffles me.

BUT.. The peps in my seahorse tank were never as brilliant as those in my reef. The pony tank is fed mysid and brine, for the most part. The reef got all kinds of foods, to include color inhanced stuff like Formula One.

Dave

[Seahorsedreams]

My reef and the seahorse tanks are both fed mysis. Hmmmmm

[JustDavidP]

Just Mysis? For the reef too?

[The Shan Man]

Mine likes flake food if the catch it before the fish. The also eat blood worms if they are lucky enough to catch one. I like watching him at night he is all over the tank swimming. Anytime I put my hand it the tank he jumps on and starts to clean along with the cleaner.

I don't know what makes their color bright. Mine was almost clear when I got him but now is bright. I really love my shrimp. lol...