Peppermint Shrimp are amazing little shrimps that come with a lot of benefits. They are most known for eating aiptasia, but they are also great at helping with leftover food and detritus. When your Peppermint shrimp rids of your aquarium of aiptasia, don't be worried about feeding it. Peppermint shrimp can thrive on a variety of other food sources.
The other great thing about Peppermint Shrimp is that they are one of the hardiest shrimp available to the aquarium hobby. This little shrimp is tolerant to lots of water conditions. However, they do not fare well when it comes to large predatory fish. Fish such as triggers or some wrasses love to eat Peppermint Shrimp. Peppermint Shrimp don't stand a chance against those fish.
While they are extremely easy and simple to care for, there are some unusual behaviors or tendencies that come with keeping Peppermint Shrimp or shrimp in general. Like a snake, Peppermint Shrimp shed their skin. Keep in mind that their skin is more like armor. They are invertebrates after all. As the shrimp grows, it has to grow a new "shell" or skin to go along with its increased size. When it is ready to shed, it will wiggle and squeeze out of its old skin and expose its new skin. Peppermint Shrimp are vulnerable after the shed because the new skin/shell is soft. Because of this, it may hide for an extended period.
You may see something that looks like to be your shrimp but dead. In most cases, this is no reason to be alarmed. Your shrimp is likely not dead. Why does the shrimp look clear or pale? Well, chances are that clear/pale thing you are looking at is not shrimp but the shrimp's old skin or shell. Even after you have seen the empty shell of a Peppermint Shrimp a few times, you may still be surprised or shocked to see it. You may think your shrimp is dead for a second. It is normal, so don't worry. If you want to, feel free to remove the old skin.
What are some other reasons a Peppermint Shrimp may look clear or pale? If you are viewing your shrimp friend at night when the lights are off, the shrimp may appear less colorful than normal. This is normal and likely only because the lights are off.
Another possible reason why your shrimp is pale or clear is because it is stressed or dying. As mentioned earlier, this is unlikely but possible. If your parameters way to off or suddenly change a lot, this shrimp may become stressed. Another cause for stress is a fish picking at it or making it feel threatened. The gray coloration does not immediately mean it is dying, but it is possible. If you see your shrimp in this state and you are sure it isn't the old skin/shell, test your water and see if anything has changed or if it is out of a healthy range. If you can fix the water quality in a timely matter, your shrimp will probably recover. Anyway, if the parameters are so bad that this happens, the Peppermint Shrimp should probably be the least of your worries.
While it is possible that your shrimp is unhealthy or stressed, the most common reason why people see their Peppermint Shrimps appear clear or pale is because they are actually looking at its old skin!
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