Peppermint stealing Trumpet's food?

DustinS85 · 02/08/2015, 02:02 PM

I got a trumpet coral, and when I try to take a syringes to feed it, my Peps come along and essentially steal from my Trumpet's mouth. How can I fix this? Don't want my trumpet to starve.

bluecoyote79 · 02/08/2015, 02:10 PM

I'd try to distract the shrimp by giving them some food to work on away from your coral and once they are eating that, feed your coral. You'll need to give them enough to be occupied for a while.

cloak · 02/08/2015, 03:32 PM

Depending on how your trumpet coral is mounted, you might be able to use the top half of a soda bottle to kind of create a barrier between the coral and the shrimp.

snorvich · 02/08/2015, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloak

Depending on how your trumpet coral is mounted, you might be able to use the top half of a soda bottle to kind of create a barrier between the coral and the shrimp.

Yes. I use tupperware to create a barrier.

Goldndoodle · 02/08/2015, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloak

Depending on how your trumpet coral is mounted, you might be able to use the top half of a soda bottle to kind of create a barrier between the coral and the shrimp.

Exactly what I do so my plate coral can eat. Everything runs to my plate when I try to feed it - hermits, emerald, shrimp - and they take everything. A 20oz Coke Zero bottle cut about an inch below where the label starts works great. I can also drop additional food through the bottle opening without removing it.

I've often wondered what they all think when they run into the invisible barrier.

JammyBirch · 02/08/2015, 05:31 PM

My skunk gets in the way too...I usually give it a puff first then it's over..feed the corals with no trouble.

Mark9 · 02/09/2015, 09:52 AM

I feed the shrimp first and give them a BIG clump of food to gnaw on.
I've also seen pretty much every one of my fish steal food from a coral if they notice it.
It happens.

DustinS85 · 02/09/2015, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloak

Depending on how your trumpet coral is mounted, you might be able to use the top half of a soda bottle to kind of create a barrier between the coral and the shrimp.

Did this, and it kept the Peps out, but the coral didn't ingest the food. Why wouldn't it eat it?

02/08/2015, 02:02 PM	#1
DustinS85 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Elyria, OH Posts: 88	Peppermint stealing Trumpet's food? I got a trumpet coral, and when I try to take a syringes to feed it, my Peps come along and essentially steal from my Trumpet's mouth. How can I fix this? Don't want my trumpet to starve.

02/08/2015, 05:31 PM	#6
JammyBirch Aquaria Engineering Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Elkland, PA Posts: 1,182	My skunk gets in the way too...I usually give it a puff first then it's over..feed the corals with no trouble. __________________ 25g cube, split 10g sump with refugium, Jebao RW4, reefbreeder value Livestock adds: Osc Clowns, Royal Gramma, Pygmy Cherub Angel, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, Serpent Brittle Star Current Tank Info: 25 gallon cube

02/08/2015, 02:10 PM	#2
bluecoyote79 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 380 Blog Entries: 2	I'd try to distract the shrimp by giving them some food to work on away from your coral and once they are eating that, feed your coral. You'll need to give them enough to be occupied for a while.

02/08/2015, 03:32 PM	#3
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Depending on how your trumpet coral is mounted, you might be able to use the top half of a soda bottle to kind of create a barrier between the coral and the shrimp.

02/09/2015, 09:52 AM	#7
Mark9 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Atlanta Posts: 2,497	I feed the shrimp first and give them a BIG clump of food to gnaw on. I've also seen pretty much every one of my fish steal food from a coral if they notice it. It happens.