Peppermint shrimp n camel shrimp

[xfusion]

As above..other than physical look? do camel shrimp eat glass anemone too?

Some LFS say camel is another type of peppermint shrimp.

[Achilles Tang]

I'll give you a hint:

Peppermint shrimp is Lysmata wurdemanni.

Rhynchocinetes durbanensis is the name for the Camel Shrimp also called hinge-beak Shrimp, Dancing Shrimp, or Candy Shrimp.

Totally seperate species of shrimp. Physically similar but there is a distinct feature.. clue... camel back.

Do some research using these names.

And report back what you know.... that's an order!

And I'll say this again: Listen 100% to LFS advice at your own risk.

[sunny03]

Camel Shrimp big bully do u all agree ??

[xfusion]

That's what i get from liveaquaria..

"The Peppermint Shrimp is sometimes confused with its Pacific cousin, Rhynchocinetes durbanensis, which has a pointed nose and inter-spaced white stripes over its body."

understand that camel shrimp is not totally reef safe also..

[Achilles Tang]

Good progress... now carry on till you get your answer!

[FuEl]

Camel shrimps are so named because of the prominent 'hump' they have on their backs. They are stout in appearance. They are red with white stripes.

Peppermint shrimps are more longish. Body shape is like a cleaner shrimp.

[xfusion]

Camel shrimps are so named because of the prominent 'hump' they have on their backs. They are stout in appearance. They are red with white stripes.

Peppermint shrimps are more longish. Body shape is like a cleaner shrimp.

4 the info..

[xfusion]

That's wat i have found from the web..

"Camel shrimp naturally preys on coral in the wild and is well documented in captivity for doing so. A few will not, but most will eventually (brain corals, polyps, etc)... it is not a safe choice in the long run. As far as the refugium goes... if you want your refugium to actually perform as a refugium (producing plankton: worms, larvae, copepods, etc) then you cannot put fish, predatory shrimps or anything else in it that will eat the plankton."

"Most "dancing" shrimp ordered in the trade are Durban species... the camel shrimp. Peppermint shrimp are similar but not quite the same. They are slightly safer for reef aquariums (although they have often been observed nibbling at coral). They also have the benefit in refugiums of breeding frequently and producing many larvae that can feed small fishes and corals."

"Camel, aka Hingeback, Dancing Shrimp, family Rhynchocinetidae are definitely NOT safe around soft, leather corals... and will indeed, pinch and chew off bits of these and other polyp animals... On the other hand, folks do keep these gregarious shrimps with stinging anemones and bubble corals."

Hope this help..especially to me..

[Achilles Tang]

Well done!

Now for the final bit... a more comprehensive writeup on the Peppermints!

[xfusion]

Here is some info on peppermint shrimp.

The TRUE Peppermint Shrimp will NOT eat corals, but the Camelback, that is often mislabeled as this shrimp, will!

Peppermint Shrimp are nocturnal and very shy during the day, protecting themselves from THEIR own predators by staying out of sight most of the time. However, at night when the big boys are napping, this shrimp forages the system looking for a meal.

The Lysmata wurdemanni is generally peaceful with other tank inhabitants, but may not get along well with Coral Banded Shrimp of the same ######, and may pick on other shrimp species as well.

The Peppermint Shrimp is a carnivore, scavenging the bottom of the aquarium, and sifting sand for food. In captivity it will accept a varied diet of prepared fresh and frozen foods suitable for carnivores, vitamin enriched flakes, freeze dried krill, or live adult brine shrimp or nauplii. Best fed at least once per day.

This shrimp is known for eating aiptasia anemones! It eat them like candy! Place 3 or 4 to a tank to really clean up infestations. Once all the anemones are gone though, you must provide food for them. Don't allow the aiptastia to grow larger than an inch or so, because the shrimp won't go after really large ones. Add the shrimp early on in the beginnings of the reef, after cycling of course! This will help to keep the anemones from over running the tank in the first place!

[Achilles Tang]

Great job, Xfusion, for the educational lesson!

It's nice to have newbies research on their own & share info with others rather than relying on just the 'oldies' here to give brief & half-boiled advice... LOL!!

You did learn a lot more right?

AT

[xfusion]

Great job, Xfusion, for the educational lesson!

It's nice to have newbies research on their own & share info with others rather than relying on just the 'oldies' here to give brief & half-boiled advice... LOL!!

You did learn a lot more right?

AT

Yupzz boss..understand much more rather than just how to identify them..

[Achilles Tang]

Cool... I hope more newbie reefers will take the time, effort and trouble to let their fingers do the walking instead of the 'quick fix-it info-counter' mentality.

A LOT of INFO is out there on the Net and not just in SRC.

As a newbie, I learnt a lot from learning from the Net, visiting forums, reading articles written by hobbyists and buying good marine books.

No one 'taught' me directly... I self-learnt mostly. No kidding. And I am sure most of the senior reefers/experienced ones here too.

SRC was created to help hobbyists find a local support group but a lot more effort must be played on self-learning.

Great job, Xfusion. Catch you around!

AT