Peppermint Shrimp and Cleaner Shrimp Compatible?

[Nanook01]

That's the question. I eventually want to add 2 Cleaner shrimp to my 120g, but I have had 2 Peppermint shrimp for the last few months dt an aiptasia problem with my LR that was given to me. Will they get along ok, is it recommended not to mix them together? Thanks for your help!!

Nanook

[Big Ed]

Hey there!

I have kept peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp in my 90 gallon without difficulty. I even had a coral banded shrimp in there for a while, I would not recommend adding one of those because mine got more aggressive the larger it got. I've had no problems keeping peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp together.

Ed

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See my work in progress at http://bigedsreef.homestead.com/bigedsreef.html

[waterboy]

I've had 2 of each in my 30 for about 3 or 4 months now, no problem.

[hai42]

No problems at all. They will both get along. I have 2 peppermint and 1 cleaner in a 90 without any problems.

[Mini_Reef]

I had two peppermints and one cleaner for several months with no problems.
However, there are exceptions to every rule. About three months ago, the large peppermint KILLED and ATE the cleaner, then it got the other peppermint. It sounds crazy, I know, but I watched him attack the cleaner.
But, karma came back, and the "Thing" in my tank (that lives under a rock) ate the renegade peppermint.
So now I just have one small cleaner shrimp, but he's the king of his rock!
He hardly leaves it unless he's cleaning my yellow tang.
...oh yea...I still have no idea what is living under the rock....I think it's a bristle worm....

[Reefland]

Hi Mini_Reef,

[xgnourtx`]

i have one large cleaner shimp and about 6 peppermint shrimp and the other day my cleaner attack one of the peppermint and ate its eyeball and killed it i dont kno what happned but thats what happened to my fish tank....

[ReeferSD]

Water boy, how big are your shrimp? Thats a lot of shrimp for a 30 gallon. they must be small cleaners?

[MParkis]

Yes peppermint and Skunk Cleaner shrimp can be kept in the same tank. That said all shrimp are cannibalistic and will eat smaller shrimp if given a chance. So you will need to make sure that the shrimp you add are close in size. If introducing Peppermints to a tank with established Skunk Cleaners add them after your lights have turned off for the day.

[almostdiva]

I have 2 of each in my 55G -- 2 peppermints and 2 fire/blood shrimp. Peppermints and cleaners are in the same family. they are all genus hippolytidae and both are in the lysmata family. Expect the peppermints to hide most of the time.

THAT being said -- if you are overcrowded, and they aren't well-fed, you can have some losses.

Rebecca

[Ninong]

Water boy, how big are your shrimp? Thats a lot of shrimp for a 30 gallon. they must be small cleaners?

His shrimp are certainly dead by now. He posted that 6-1/2 YEARS ago and they have a maximum lifespan of about three years.

[Ninong]

Peppermints and cleaners are in the same family. they are all genus hippolytidae and both are in the lysmata family.

Rebecca,

You have that sort of reversed. The genus is Lysmata and the Family is Hippolytidae.

[salt-rookie]

Yes they are compatible. Cleaners are day feeders, Peppermints are nocturnal.

[almostdiva]

Rebecca,

You have that sort of reversed. The genus is Lysmata and the Family is Hippolytidae.

I was typing in a rush over lunch... also didn't notice how old the thread was!