Are brine shrimp roaming the tank dangerous?

[dtruitt]

Long story short, I dumped some brine shrimp eggs into the refugium a couple of weeks ago. Not really a hitchhiker if I added the eggs, I guess, but I was counting on the fish wiping out the eggs and babies before they could grow...

Anyway, earlier this week I gave two corals a lugols dip. A couple of brine shrimp around 1cm long shot out of one or both of the corals when they hit the water. Now I'm starting to wonder if there may be more brine shrimp roaming around, burrowing in corals, and causing issues.

Can I generally count on brine shrimp to be reef safe live food? Or should I refrain from adding eggs in the future?

 

[Crustaceon]

You sure they aren’t mysid shrimp?

 

[Perthegallon]

Long story short, I dumped some brine shrimp eggs into the refugium a couple of weeks ago. Not really a hitchhiker if I added the eggs, I guess, but I was counting on the fish wiping out the eggs and babies before they could grow...

Anyway, earlier this week I gave two corals a lugols dip. A couple of brine shrimp around 1cm long shot out of one or both of the corals when they hit the water. Now I'm starting to wonder if there may be more brine shrimp roaming around, burrowing in corals, and causing issues.

Can I generally count on brine shrimp to be reef safe live food? Or should I refrain from adding eggs in the future?

I mean bribe shrimp get eaten by corals so...

 

[dtruitt]

You sure they aren’t mysid shrimp?

Could be mysis too, I guess. Not sure how mysis shrimp would have found their way in though.

 

[Perthegallon]

Long story short, I dumped some brine shrimp eggs into the refugium a couple of weeks ago. Not really a hitchhiker if I added the eggs, I guess, but I was counting on the fish wiping out the eggs and babies before they could grow...

Anyway, earlier this week I gave two corals a lugols dip. A couple of brine shrimp around 1cm long shot out of one or both of the corals when they hit the water. Now I'm starting to wonder if there may be more brine shrimp roaming around, burrowing in corals, and causing issues.

Can I generally count on brine shrimp to be reef safe live food? Or should I refrain from adding eggs in the future?

But the hatching and eggs will add lots of ammonia and nitrate try to do it in a separate place

 

[Fourstars]

I hatch and feed to my tank two or three times a week.

 

[dtruitt]

I mean bribe shrimp get eaten by corals so...

These guys were like pinky nail sized and seemed to be hiding in or under an acan and a favia. Definitely too big to be coral food.

 

[Crustaceon]

Could be mysis too, I guess. Not sure how mysis shrimp would have found their way in though.

Just asking because I used to have a ton of them when my fuge was up and running. They loved to find a corner and run up & down the wall. They’re really active at night and you’ll see their little glowing eyes with a flashlight. Mine had to have came in on frags.

 

[Perthegallon]

That

These guys were like pinky nail sized and seemed to be hiding in or under an acan and a favia. Definitely too big to be coral food.

That is interesting can I see a a pic I dump live brine shrimp in almost daily and don’t have issues like that

 

[dtruitt]

That

That is interesting can I see a a pic I dump live brine shrimp in almost daily and don’t have issues like that

Didnt think to snap one when I did the dip, sorry. I'll keep an eye out in case any more of them pop up.

 

[lapin]

I bet the shrimp were mad you woke them up when they were sleeping. Thye are filter feeders. I have never seen one with a steak knife and fork.

 

[Perthegallon]

I’d be

Didnt think to snap one when I did the dip, sorry. I'll keep an eye out in case any more of them pop up.

I’d more worried it was something other then a brine shrimp

 

[dtruitt]

I bet the shrimp were mad you woke them up when they were sleeping. Thye are filter feeders. I have never seen one with a steak knife and fork.

They were probably even madder when they got tossed with the dip.

I'm not so worried about coral eating tendencies as much as irritating corals by hiding in them.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I wouldn't be concerned at all, a well established tank will have a variety of little crustaceans roaming the substrate, I would bet they were amphipods and if so, they're part of a healthy reef and wont harm your corals.

 

[Phil D.]

If so, then fish will eventually eat them.