Description
Peppermint Shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni and other species, are a very popular shrimp from the Florida Keys. Peppermint shrimp are most commonly used to control Aiptasia anemones (Pale Anemones) in reef tanks and refugiums. Aiptasia anemones can overrun an aquarium or refugium, and no amount of picking and cleaning will get rid of them like these little shrimp will. If you’ve ever had an outbreak of these anemones, you’ll know what I mean, and if you have an outbreak right now, this is what you need. Aiptasia are common hitchhikers on live rock from the Gulf of Mexico, and on some plants and zoanthids. Without some sort of natural predator to control them, they will quickly start multiplying and will overwhelm your tank. Peppermint shrimp are natural predators for this anemone and will eliminate them from your system.
Peppermint shrimp are also cool little shrimp that are very active in an aquarium. During the day they usually can be found holding on to the undersides of rocks swaying back and forth, and moving their antennas all around. When it’s feeding time, they will quickly swim out and actually take food out of you hand as well as give your fingernails a quick cleaning. Make sure you keep them fed after the Aiptasia are gone because they can be pretty ornery if they are hungry.
Another neat thing about them is that they will breed in your tank and produce multiple batches of eggs each year. They are being cultured now in some places, and who knows, maybe some will survive in your refugium.
During the cooler months of the year they can be safely shipped by priority mail.
Acclimating peppermints is very important. Please drip them slowly and put them on an air stone / bubbler too.
Currently, we have hard time getting peppermints and we are getting them from Haiti and they are smaller than the ones that we normally ship out.
ijf90 (verified owner) –
I ordered 3 Lysmata wurdemanni complex shrimp, and received 5! They were very active and acclimated just fine. I did lose the smallest specimen of the 5 over the first night – but that’s exactly why KP Aquatics provided the extras to make up for any such losses. They really go above and beyond for their customers. The shrimp are excellent scavengers eating excess food from tank feedings. Thank you for your generosity Phillip and Kara!
Marcella (verified owner) –
I got two of these little guys. They are so shy! They like to hide out under a little cave in my rock structure.
Even during feeding time the only just peek out enough to crazily grab some food. Very entertaining! I even caught one steal a bit of shrimp from the staghorn anemone that I got from KPAquatics close by! Brave little guy! Im keeping an eye on that unique anemone but so far it just sits and looks pretty doesnt bother anything around it.
Carol Anderson –
Wonderful size for price. Have ordered from others and get shrimp that looked like they just hatched!!
Richard Varone –
Used 2 day shipping and he arrived happy and healthy. Hes really active especially when its feeding time.
julia berendt –
cute little guy/girl! survived 2 day shipping in extremely hot humid weather, has quite a personality, right now its clinging on the front of my tank doing its dance! wish I would have ordered 2.
Angela Bishop –
Good size and packaged well. He’s already staked out a spot in my nano and is doing his shrimp dance upside-down in there.
Tyler Matheny –
Ordered 2 and both arrived as alive as they could. They took off and started doing what shrimp do in my tank. I got iffy about it and looked at my tank with a red light at night and they were going crazy exploring my tank so these things adapt amazingly good.
jessica kellems –
Arrived alive and stayed alive 🙂 These are such cool shrimp to watch!
Oliver Puppel –
My new Peppermint is the king of his new tank. He’s already eaten 4 pea-sized aiptasia (which is part of the reason I bought him), and he’s full of character. Arrived in perfect condition and was out exploring within 15 minutes.
Josiah Hanson –
I have gotten a few of these from Ken so far, and haven’t lost a single one! Not only that, I get freebies every order, and sometimes the freebies are more valuable than my entire order, no joke! Best site there is.
Jonathan Baer –
I ordered 3 of these guys/gals, and theyall came is excellent condition! When I was acclimating them, one jumped on my hand and started to clean me!