Sally Lightfoot and Peppermint Shrimp

[Kyle9021]

Alright, so here's a two part question. I made a typical newbie mistake and bought a sally lightfoot crab and a peppermint shrimp from my LFS. They recommended it and told me that they were reef safe.

Yesterday the peppermint shrimp started to shred my anchor coral so I had to put the anchor coral in my refugium to heal. Also, I recently put two clown fish in the tank and one of them mysteriously disappeared. After observing the tank for a bit I saw the sally lightfoot try and grab the remaining clown fish, so I think that he is the one who took the first clown fish. I feel that both the sally lightfoot and the shrimp get fed often enough.

So my question is...has anyone else had the same problem and been able to fix it? Will I have to take my tank apart to remove these creatures? Is there a good trap someone has bought/made/used to easily get these two things out of their tank? Thanks!

 

[estanoche]

Crabs are pretty easy to catch with a tall glass, some bait in the bottom, and patience.... They can't climb up a vertical glass surface very well. Just make sure the glass is tall enough so the sally can't get a leg up to the top ledge.

Maybe your peppermint shrimp is a camel shrimp? They are very similar, and are often sold incorrectly. Camel shrimp will eat corals.

On a side note, any shrimp or crab will eat a dieing coral or fish as they are opportunistic feeders.

 

[Kyle9021]

Yeah this anchor coral was a bit stressed so the shrimp started picking at it. I'm pretty sure it's a peppermint shrimp. The lady told me that both the camel and the peppermint shrimp were "reef safe"...kinda weird. I like the way the shrimp and the crab look in the tank..it's too bad. I've been thinking about maybe a harlequin shrimp and/or an emerald crab (I've heard they are safe). If not is there any other suggestions on shrimp or crabs?


I'm going to try the glass trick. Do can I place the glass anywhere in the tank? Any tips on how to catch the shrimp? Thanks!

 

[abushr]

I made the same newbie mistake with the sally lightfoot crab...I thought it looked cool, and the petstore (big corprate store) said it was reef safe. I had a couple chromies disappear and then my starfish got munched on and died (very gross!) Went to another pet store (sm kinda mom & pop type, locally owned) explained what was going on.....he asked me if I'd bought any crabs from other store.... Turns out those sally lightfoots are big carnivors!!! I went home, hunted him down (had to move alot of live rock) and punished him by dropping him into my sons turtle tank (2 very large red ear sliders) where he quickly became a snack!!! Havn't had anyone else disappear or get munched on since. I replaced him with 2 emerald crabs. They're cute, but spend most of their time hidden in the live rock.

 

[Kyle9021]

alright thanks for the advice. I was thinking an emerald crab too.

 

[alki]

Man I made the same mistake for the sally lightfoot. I just couldnt stand putting my hand in the tank with a big spider looking thing. It gave me the willies.

Emeralds are great and will eat alot of algae, including bubble. And they dont look like super nasty spiders.

When I had 5 peps in one tank they would gang up on lps and my rock anemone, when I got rid of 3 of them they chilled out and dont touch anything. But they are one of those things where theyare all different, so good luck catching him! (The reason I kept 2 was because of my ultimate failure in trying to catch the little bastards.)

 

[reefreefer]

I had a problem w the peppermint shrimp I got them to rid my tank of glass anemones but they started harassing some of my L.P.S and soft corals I got a pistol shrimp and he blasted the ones I couldn't get, he fires at my emerald crabs but hasn't hurt them yet. He makes really cool loud popping noises and it was cool to watch him blast the shrimp he was first paired up with my steinz goby and when he disappeared "literally" My wife brought me a yellow watchmen they are best buds now,the pistols over a year old.

 

[Kyle9021]

oh man, yeah I want both of these creatures out of my tank as soon as possible. Maybe I'll toss them both in my refuge but I don't really know. A pistol shrimp sounds interesting. I'll look into it!

 

[gloo]

The emerald crab I threw in the tank did a great job of killing the tube snails and the bub algae. Once they were gone, all he did was move rocks out of place and pester my corals.

I'd be very careful with crabs, they can do more harm then good sometimes.

 

[Kyle9021]

yeah I'm beginning to find that out. It's too bad though, cause they are an interesting creature. What about an anemone crab? Anyone had any experience with one of those?

 

[alki]

Pistols good though you will never see him

 

[Kyle9021]

hmm..thats kind of a bummer. Anyone else have any suggestions for hardy but reef safe inverts? Especially ones that are interesting to watch?

 

[gloo]

You can definately hear a pistol though. I really love my pistol shrimp, been 2 years and have not bothered other critters.

I'd be interested in seeing if you can collect a 'queen', hearing they are the only eusocial animals discovered thus far in the ocean. I'd love me a underwater 'ant farm' with sponges.

You may not see pistols too often in a larger tank, but they do create a nest and don't seem to travel too far from it. If you are lucky, it will nest somewhere visible.

You'd see them more often than pom pom crabs, for sure.

 

[FreakinReefin]

yeah I'm beginning to find that out. It's too bad though, cause they are an interesting creature. What about an anemone crab? Anyone had any experience with one of those?

I have 2 porcelain crabs and they are very peaceful and just hangout in one of my anemones all day waving their fans around to try and catch food. Very cool to watch them crawl around inside the anemone.