TankBud

Peppermint shrimp

Lysmata wurdemanni

Also known as Caribbean Peppermint Shrimp, Veined Shrimp, Candy Cane Shrimp

SaltwaterShrimp

Peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni)
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Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Very common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Lysmatidae
Origin
Western Atlantic and Caribbean

Overview

The peppermint shrimp is a hardy, peaceful scavenger for a reef tank, best known as natural Aiptasia control. It is easy to keep and suits a beginner.

Did you know

The peppermint shrimp is one of the few reef invertebrates that will eat glass anemones. A small group will hunt down an outbreak that chemical treatments struggle to fully clear.

Caring for the peppermint shrimp

Give peppermint shrimp a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L) with lots of live rock. Caves and overhangs give them shelter during the day. They are most active at dusk and after lights out, when they come out to scavenge across the rockwork and sand.

Hold the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Peppermint shrimp are cheap, hardy scavengers, and they eat Aiptasia, preferring small to medium pest anemones. Keep them well fed, because an underfed shrimp may pick at LPS such as open brain corals or acans.

They do well in groups and are peaceful with fish, corals and other invertebrates. Keep them away from fish that eat shrimp. Like other Lysmata, the peppermint shrimp is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, so groups pair and breed readily.

Good to know

The peppermint shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni, belongs to the family Lysmatidae. True L. wurdemanni is often confused with several near-identical Lysmata species sold under the same trade name. Their appetite for Aiptasia varies from one species to the next. It is also sold as the Caribbean peppermint shrimp or the candy cane shrimp.

In the wild

Peppermint shrimp live among rock, rubble and reef crevices in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean, often in small groups.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The peppermint shrimp is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a peppermint shrimp need?

A peppermint shrimp needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a peppermint shrimp need?

A peppermint shrimp is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a peppermint shrimp eat?

A peppermint shrimp scavenges across the rockwork and sand, and it eats Aiptasia, the pest anemones. Keep it well fed, or it may pick at LPS corals.

How big does a peppermint shrimp get?

An adult peppermint shrimp reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

How does a peppermint shrimp breed?

Peppermint shrimp are simultaneous hermaphrodites, so a group pairs off and breeds readily.

Related species