cleaner shrimp good for horses?

[KING OF THE REEF]

as the question asks are they do they help in hepping the algea from growing on them?

 

[Howieytown]

I just aquired three hippo erectus and i have a cleaner shrimp in the tank with them. I was/am worried that the shrimp is a little hyperactive for the horses.
I watched the first contact between them today at feeding time, the shrimp really "molested" one of the females and she didnt seem to even flinch. The shrimp just used its feelers/whiskers and pretty much rubbed them all over the seahorse then left her alone.
The horses do have some red algae growth on them, time will tell i guess?

 

[lori7973]

Howie, I had a cleaner shrimp in with the ponys awhile back. I made sure I fed it first then it left the ponys alone. However, the shrimp do not help with algae on the ponys, the algae occurs from the low water circulation and flow in the tank. You can get it off by blowing it off with the pipit or turkey baster or you can gently rub the pony with your finger.

 

[Swanwillow]

OR just learn to like it, since its part of thier natural camoflauge... I'm digging out a pic I saw, online... hold on

http://gallery.seahorse.org/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=395

there are some other better pics of what they look like in the wild. I consider it a part of them. My male is developing a fuzz from my algae, and its kinda cute... now, if it got outta hand, I might think about takin it off... but why?

 

[pledosophy]

IME cleaners are kind of hit and miss. While some speciments do make good tankmates others can cause stress to the seahorses and should be removed.

For the most part I have been lucky but there are many who have not been.

JME

 

[Howieytown]

So far the shrimp has been behaving himself, i am keeping an eye on it and will remove it if he bothers the seahorses.

 

[KING OF THE REEF]

well i added myblodd shrimp today. he doesnt seem to be bothering them and he even is cleaning them and they dont seem to mind. i think he'll be ok but if any problems do occur back to the 20 he goes. as for th algea it is coraline and i dont really want it on them as i am affraid it wqill wieght them down. well pics to come

 

[kenny77]

a good shrimp for seahorses is the seagrass shrimp. they look just like ghost shrimp, but I beleive it a ssp. They share the same enviroment and the best part is that the seagrass shrimp reproduce very easy in captivity with very little or no special care and the seahorses love the seagrass shrimp larvae.

Also if you live in the eastcoast you can get them for free. Just get a net and swing it between a seagrass plaint and you will catch 10's of them

 

[Howieytown]

After a couple of days i actually think the cleaner shrimp is scared of the horses! It seems to be staying in one area and no where near as hyperactive as it was before the horses came in.
Maybe he doesnt like the way they suck up the mysid shrimp? LOL

 

[Jordan55]

Kenny, you wanna send some to Ohio?

 

[KING OF THE REEF]

jordan, i could get ya some as i live in eastern florida right near ORA. bout an hour or so away.

 

[JustDavidP]

I have peppermints in with my Reidi. They leave each other alone. The shrimp have babies every three weeks or so and my pipefish and mandarin love the snack. The Reidi don't pay much attention to the baby pepps, but I do siphon them out and the Reidi Fry in my growout tank LOVE them.

Dave