Shrimp Dilemma

[Yuma]

OK, quick background. 60 Fowlr....for now. Just completed cycle, adding clean-up crew.

I want/need a couple of shrimp for my tank. Some of the live rock that I purchased came with some Aiptasia on it that I have been treating with Aiptasia X with very good success, but there are still quite a few small/tiny ones around.

My thought was to get a couple of peppermint shrimp with the hopes that I manage to get at least one that takes a liking to eating Aiptasia. I fully understand that there's no guarantee that they would eat it.

Here's my dilemma:

While I'm starting with a fowlr tank, I already have a couple of hitchhiker mushys and a pretty good sized mat of star polyps, and to be honest, I'm just not sure how long the tank with stay fowlr. In other words, sooner or later I'm gonna start adding corals. I would say that I'm probably AT LEAST several months from adding any nems, but I have to take that into consideration as they certainly are a future possibility.

So the question is, should I just continue attacking this stuff with the Aiptasia X and maybe go with a more "reef friendly" shrimp such as a skunk cleaner, or should I go ahead and do the peppermint shrimp?

Thanks for your thoughts/input.
Yuma

 

[xxBarneyxx]

With regards to the peppermint shrimp. They can be very effective in removing Aiptasia. However as it sound like you already know they can also decided not to eat them at all so its really a gamble.

Although its not common they have been known to munch on some corals (mine did eat my yellow polyps but never touched anything else). Again its a bit of a gamble.

Personally I would say unless you have a huge Aiptasia problem I wouldn't bother with them. They are pretty in their own right but you will probably never see them.

If you get the peppermint shrimp get them because you like them and be aware that some corals (particularly ones that look like Aiptasia) might get eaten.

I don't want to come across as negative but I'm afraid your tank is not suitable for a nem. 60L is just not really big enough.

 

[Yuma]

Barney-

Thanks for the information. That was kind of my thoughts as well, but I guess I'm still just wrestling with it a little bit. My primary reason for getting peppermint was for the Aiptasia issue, so I just need to re-evaluate the primary reason.

And actually, my tank is 60 US gallons, or 227L. Looking back, I realize I didn't add in the unit of measurement.

I appreciate your input, and don't think you sounded negative at all. I'm still learning so I welcome all input or advice, and I do mean ALL.

Thanks,
Yuma

 

[seffieuk]

Hi, Yuma - i'm also a nem lover your tank needs to be at least eight months old before you consider buying one, what sort are you considering?

Seffie x

 

[Yuma]

Hi, Yuma - i'm also a nem lover your tank needs to be at least eight months old before you consider buying one, what sort are you considering?

Seffie x

Seffie-

I've always had the idea that it would be 9-12 months before I would venture too far into corals, certainly anything past some mushy's and a soft coral or two. I've read in several places that the tank needs to be WELL established before getting too far into it. Secondly, there is no doubt that I will HAVE to upgrade lighting before I go that route. All that to say, I haven't really looked too deeply at the nems, although I absolutely LOVE the frogspawn in Nemo's tank, and I've seen a couple of BTAs that have caught my attention at the lfs. Don't know that I specifically have any in mind, just like the idea in general and will consider them after several more months of established tank. Other than some of the lower light, hardier corals I probably won't be adding anything other than fish for the next 6-8 months at least. If I put something in my tank I want to know that I've done everything that I can do to at least give it a fighting chance. Until I have proven to myself that I can maintain appropriate water stats, etc. for a while I won't be venturing into the corals too far.

I've spoken to a couple of local guys that have peppy's in their reef tanks and have very good luck with them and have had very little to no nipping in a well established, long standing tank, so I will likely go that route if nothing else, to keep me from having to stick my hand in the tank with Aiptasia X every few days just to see how it works out. Since it's gonna be a while before I go to deep into corals, I'll be able to know ahead of time how well they are doing in the tank and go from there.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

Yuma

 

[seffieuk]

Really nice to hear that you are not rushing in

The frogspawn is a coral of the Euphyllia family, take a look at this thread, it has soem great info and photos:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/301547-coral-of-the-week-euphyllias/


Seffie x