Considered the part of the cleaning crew, peppermint shrimp are the omnivorous crustaceans. But they will more likely consume carnivorous feeding, especially the aiptasia.

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Though they are a great addition to your aquarium, peppermint shrimp can be voracious feeders. That means that they would devour almost anything that is offered in small bite-sized chunks.

So what do peppermint shrimp eat? That we will find out! We will explore what they consume other than their preferred diet items.

Animals

Peppermint shrimp are good cleaners as they clean up the otherwise unnecessary items. But this feeding habit of theirs might bother some fish pet owners.

That is because peppermint shrimp eat fish, aiptasia, asterina starfish, acans, anemones, and brittle stars. Other specimens dwelling in the tank also make up the no-fuss menu of peppermint shrimp.

That is why it is important to provide plenty of feedings to your peppermint shrimp. That said, peppermint shrimp eat clams, feather dusters, starfish, snails, and polyps. Most probably they will only pick at their flesh if their preferred food is nowhere to be found.

And of course, peppermint shrimp eat worms and bristle worms to some extent. Beyond these feedings, peppermint shrimp eat parasites – being the beneficial cleaners as usual!

Fruit, Vegetables, and Plants

Exclusively feeding on aiptasia and its other small specimens, peppermint shrimp tend to be more carnivorous. But they are adapted to nibbling on aquatic plants if there is no food of their preference offered.

Hence, peppermint shrimp eat algae, corals, and nudibranch. Keep in mind, though, peppermint shrimp eat coral if it decaying or dying.

What peppermint shrimp don’t eat?

Peppermint shrimp shun various other specimens and plants in their habitat. Hence, peppermint shrimp don’t eat copepods, amphipods, zoas, Majano anemones, clownfish, flatworms, or emerald crab. Apart from these, peppermint shrimp don’t eat hair algae, bubble algae, bubble coral, or plankton.