# Catching a peppermint shrimp



## darcyr (Jan 24, 2014)

This thing is slowly eating its way through my hammer coral and I can't catch him for the life of me. He hides behind a rock shelf and can retreat back in there so fast when I try to net him. I have tried the homemade reversed bottle trap but only catch my damsel. I have tried baiting him but I am not fast enough. I dont even mind killing him if that's the only way. Ideas anyone?


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## Jaysan (Dec 19, 2011)

darcyr said:


> This thing is slowly eating its way through my hammer coral and I can't catch him for the life of me. He hides behind a rock shelf and can retreat back in there so fast when I try to net him. I have tried the homemade reversed bottle trap but only catch my damsel. I have tried baiting him but I am not fast enough. I dont even mind killing him if that's the only way. Ideas anyone?


How I caught mine was putting my hand near where mine was hiding. He would come out slowly to my hand and give me a "mani" lol
After that, I just slowly moved away from the rock and netted it. 
Try doing that.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Break out the fishing pole


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## darcyr (Jan 24, 2014)

Ive tried using my finger as bait but he's gone as soon as I make a sudden movement with the net. I wonder if a small hook would work, I don't know what kind of mouth he has. Something to stun him maybe without killing everything else? He's moving on to his 4th head of hammer... ugh


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## CoralConnoisseur (Mar 5, 2014)

I had a peppermint start ripping at a frogspawn once. My girlfriend did exactly what Jaysan suggested. It was fairly slow at coming out of the rock work. But once it was on her hand, she just slowly moved it away from the rocks and lifted her hand above any coral. Than scoop! With a net.

We let him sit in a plastic dish on the coffee table for everyone to look at for a few min. Than it was my turn.... Stuck it right to the hadonni.

Good luck!


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## craigathy_otter (Nov 26, 2014)

Take a one litre pop bottle and cut off around the base of the neck. Place the cut off piece into the bottle to create a cave. place some brine shrimp inside and that shrimp won't be able to resist. may catch a few fish at the same time!


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## darcyr (Jan 24, 2014)

craigathy_otter said:


> Take a one litre pop bottle and cut off around the base of the neck. Place the cut off piece into the bottle to create a cave. place some brine shrimp inside and that shrimp won't be able to resist. may catch a few fish at the same time!


I tried this but I always catch my damsel first. The peppermint shrimp is terrified of him so he steers clear of the trap once he's in it. At this point, I just spot feed him so he's well fed and he seems to be slowing his hammer coral consumption.


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## amps (Feb 24, 2015)

I had top catch on for the exact same reason. 

I got a turkey baster with some mysis shrimp in it, put my net in the corner of the tank and then baited the shrimp out by squirting the mysis near him. When he came near the net, I just squirted some right in it and the little dude walked right into it. I quickly pressed the net against the glass and then pulled him out. Took maybe 5mins.


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