- Eat Aiptasia
- Peppermint Shrimp are known by Reef Aquarists for their voracious appetite of aiptasia pest anenomes. They work in groups to attack and eliminate aiptasia from their environment.
- Low Maintenance
- Peppermint Shrimp, are able to survive and thrive on various other food sources once all the aiptasia has been eliminated.
- Clean Up Crew
- Our Peppermint Shrimp are Captive-Bred and Sustainable omivores that eat a variety of foods ranging from detritus to leftover fish food. They tend to huddle in groups, waiting for an opportunity to find aiptasia or other food.
Peppermint Shrimp (Lysmata boggessi)
The peppermint shrimp is quite popular in the hobby for its beauty and relative hardiness. It is particularly desirable, however, for its habit of feeding on Aiptasia (glass) anemones. Additionally, it effectively scavenges wastes such as uneaten food, dead snails, etc. As the peppermint shrimp is completely reef-safe, it is an indispensable member of any clean-up crew. See below for more information.Size and Care Requirements
- Purchase Size: 0.5″-1″ (length)
- Max Size: 1.75″
- Water Parameters: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.2-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025
- Color: Pink/off-white with red striations
- Reef-Safe: Yes
- Diet: Omnivore. Peppermint shrimp do not require supplemental feeding when housed in a saltwater aquarium where Aiptasia and/or leftover fish food is present. As scavengers, these shrimps will wander the live rock in your reef aquarium searching for Aiptasia or wastes. However, if the animal completely eliminates all pest anemones and waste, it can be offered supplemental feedings of most prepared fish foods.
Peppermint Shrimp Species Information
The peppermint shrimp (Lysmata boggessi) comes from the Florida Keys, Key West and the Gulf of Mexico where it prefers shallow reef habitats. It most commonly occurs on the roofs of caves and crevasses, but may also be found within vase sponges or on the blades of seagrass. Totally reef-safe and proven to consume glass anemones, it has for long been a favorite shrimp among marine aquarium enthusiasts. It is also important to note that this shrimp will not harm desirable anemone species. It cannot be safely kept with predatory fishes such as triggerfish, lionfish and hawkfish. Fairly social, it is somewhat less territorial than many other shrimp species. It regularly spawns in aquaria; though the young generally do not survive under typical aquarium conditions, they do provide a great source of nutrition for zooplanktivorous animals (e.g. many corals). In addition to being a sustainable alternative to wild-caught shrimp, it makes a great addition to any clean-up crew that will help to control and eliminate accumulations of solid organic waste.Benefits of Aquacultured Invertebrates
Captive-bred peppermint shrimp provide a huge advantage over wild-caught specimens. Because they are cultured in captive conditions, they are better adapted to living in an aquarium and tend to be more disease resistant. They are also better able to handle the stress of shipping. By purchasing captive-bred organisms, you are supporting the aquaculture of marine organisms and helping make our hobby sustainable! AlgaeBarn keeps these peppermint shrimp in an invertebrate-specific system to minimize the transfer of fish parasites and other unwanted hitchhikers.100% Alive on Arrival (AoA) Guarantee
We guarantee that every peppermint shrimp we sell will be Alive On Arrival and in good health. Should they arrive in any other state, we will either replace them free of charge (including shipping). If the total livestock loss is less than $40, we will issue store credit. For more information, please also visit our 100% Alive On Arrival Guarantee page.

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Our Guarantee
We take the worry out of buying Live Copepods, Phytoplankton, Inverts, and Captive Bred Fish online by going above and beyond to take care of our customers. That’s why we guarantee every order we ship will be 100% Alive On Arrival or we will replace it free of charge. Booya. We’ll even cover the shipping on the replacement no matter which service you choose. Double Booya.
About our policy: When your order arrives, be sure and inspect the contents to ensure everything is looking alive and well before you add them to your tank or put them in the fridge. We’ll give you 12 hours after delivery to make sure you are completely satisfied.
“We will take care of you and make it right”
If for any reason you decide something isn’t quite ultra grade, simply snap a photo of the unopened item(s) you would like replaced. Be sure to get the expiration date on the back label in the photo. After that, visit www.algaebarn.com/claims and submit the form. We’ll review the photo and have a replacement out to you faster than a six-line wrasse at feeding time.
Captive Bred Fish: We guarantee every Live Fish we ship to be 100% Alive On Arrival and we also offer a 7-day health guarantee on all Live Captive Bred Fish. In the event that your fish arrives DOA (Dead On Arrival), simply take a photo of the fish in the unopened bag/jar within 2 hours after delivery and visit www.algaebarn.com/claims to submit the form. If the fish is DOA, we will offer you a choice of either a full refund or a free replacement, including the shipping cost. If the fish expires from natural causes (this does not include being killed by tank mates, jumping out of the aquarium, being acclimated to the wrong environment, not being fed the recommended foods) within 7 days after delivery, just provide a picture of the expired fish and we will offer you a free replacement, however, you must pay for shipping, or a refund, less the shipping cost. We can offer this industry leading guarantee on all of our live fish because Captive Bred fish are generally healthier and hardier than their wild-caught counterparts!
Invertebrates: We guarantee every invertebrate (Invert) we ship to be 100% Alive On Arrival. In the event that your inverts arrive DOA, simply take photos of the DOA items within 2 hours of delivery and visit www.algaebarn.com/claims to submit the form. We will review the photos and issue store credit for any DOA Inverts!
Once your replacement order is processed, we’ll send you a brand new tracking number automatically. Thats it, pretty simple right?
So start giving your tank the love it deserves and order with confidence knowing that AlgaeBarn has your back.

Dillon Harrington (verified owner) –
Great customer service, lousy product. Original order of 6 pepp shrimp did not arrive despit fedex confirming delivery. Customer service sent out a replacement order ASAP! Five stars for that. However, the shrimp are babies and not lmature enough to be placed in an active tank. I guess if you have a small qt tank you could patiently grow them out before adding them to your display tank. Basically, they are useless and will become fish food. I would not buy these unless you are willing to deal with dime sized babies for $12 a piece. Your lfs will have full sized shrimp.