Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata sp.)

The Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata sp.) is the reef keeper's answer to an Aiptasia outbreak. Semi-transparent with fine candy-red pinstriping down its body, it spends the day tucked in the rockwork and comes out at night to work the reef, and what it works on includes the glass anemones that spread through a tank faster than you can scrape them. It is cheap, hardy, entirely peaceful, and it does a job no chemical really does well. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies.

It is also a decent general scavenger and a part-time cleaner, picking leftovers out of the rock and occasionally servicing fish that hold still for it. Most keepers buy them in threes or more, both because a group works Aiptasia faster and because a lone shrimp tends to stay hidden.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 10 gallons and up with live rock. Caves and overhangs matter, since they are nocturnal and want somewhere dark to sit out the day.
• How many: for Aiptasia control, three or more. A single shrimp in a big tank rarely makes a visible dent. For general cleanup, one per 20 gallons is fine.
• Diet: omnivore and scavenger. Aiptasia, detritus, leftover food, and meaty frozen foods. If the Aiptasia runs out, keep feeding them or they will look elsewhere.
• Water: 72 to 78°F, salinity 1.023 to 1.025, pH 8.1 to 8.4. Drip acclimate slowly. Shrimp are far more sensitive to salinity swings than fish.
• Zero copper: copper-based medications kill invertebrates. Never dose them in a tank holding shrimp.
• Molting: they shed regularly and leave a ghostly empty shell behind. It is not a dead shrimp. Leave it in the tank to be eaten back for calcium.
• Iodine: not strictly required in a well-maintained tank with regular water changes, but shrimp use it for molting and some keepers supplement lightly.

Specifications

Compatibility

Safe with peaceful reef fish, corals, and the rest of a cleanup crew. It pairs naturally with Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Zebra Turbo Snails, and Pitho Crabs, each handling a different part of the job.

Two honest cautions. Anything that eats shrimp will eat these: hawkfish, larger wrasses, triggers, puffers, lionfish, and big angels. And while they are sold as reef safe, individual shrimp occasionally pick at LPS polyps or zoanthids, particularly once the Aiptasia is gone and they are hungry. Keep them fed and the risk stays low.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• SFBB Frozen Mysis Shrimp, an easy meaty staple they will come out for
• Piscine Energetics Saltwater Pellets for general feeding
• Zebra Turbo Snail and Pitho Crab to round out the cleanup crew
• Browse the full saltwater selection

FAQ

Will it actually eat Aiptasia?
Usually, and it is the main reason to buy one. Results vary by individual, which is why we recommend three or more rather than a single shrimp. Give them a few weeks and stop hand feeding heavily while they work.

How many do I need?
For an Aiptasia problem, three or more. For general scavenging, roughly one per 20 gallons.

I never see them. Is that normal?
Yes. They are nocturnal and spend the day in the rockwork. Look with a flashlight after lights out and you will find them out working.

Are they safe with my corals?
Almost always. A hungry peppermint can nip LPS polyps or zoanthids, so keep them fed once the Aiptasia is cleared. Most tanks never see an issue.

I found an empty shrimp shell. Did one die?
Almost certainly a molt. Shrimp shed their exoskeleton whole and it looks like a pale, hollow copy of the animal. Leave it in for them to eat.

How is this different from a Cleaner Shrimp?
The Scarlet Skunk Cleaner is bold, out all day, and sets up cleaning stations for fish. The Peppermint is shy, nocturnal, cheaper, and the one that eats Aiptasia. Many reefers keep both.