cleaner shrimp that doesn't eat dusters
- Thread starter gusmanda
- Start date
mdcoblentz
Premium Member
hmm.. never heard of cleaner shrimp eating feather dusters...
crazyfingersmike
Premium Member
I've never heard of cleaners eating dusters either. I've had a cleaner for 2 years and he hasn't touched my dusters.
Pandora
Premium Member
I think there's some confusion here. When most people refer to cleaner shrimp, they mean scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis. Occasionally, they mean fire shrimp, L. debelius. This refers to the habits of picking parasites off of fish. Neither of these will bother tube worms & feather dusters.
Sometimes people get peppermint shrimp, L. wurdemanni as part of a "cleaner crew". These fish do not take part in that symbiotic activity that gives the other shrimp the name "cleaner" but they can be used for scavenging and picking off unwanted animals such as small pest anemones, polyps, and yes, tube worms.
This is the problem with common names, sometimes.
Sometimes people get peppermint shrimp, L. wurdemanni as part of a "cleaner crew". These fish do not take part in that symbiotic activity that gives the other shrimp the name "cleaner" but they can be used for scavenging and picking off unwanted animals such as small pest anemones, polyps, and yes, tube worms.
This is the problem with common names, sometimes.
Pandora
Premium Member
debelius & amboinensis--the two true cleaners--won't touch aiptasia. wurdemanni (just call it a peppermint here, everyone will know what you mean 
) is a good scavenger/eater of pesky things for the tank, and will usually eat small aiptasia. However, don't count on them to eat 100% if you have a really bad infestation. A lot of people supplement with injection/other techniques (read sticky). And also, I should point out, they don't ALL eat tube worms, either, nor will any touch large feather dusters. There are just some scattered reports that some will pick at smaller ones.
) is a good scavenger/eater of pesky things for the tank, and will usually eat small aiptasia. However, don't count on them to eat 100% if you have a really bad infestation. A lot of people supplement with injection/other techniques (read sticky). And also, I should point out, they don't ALL eat tube worms, either, nor will any touch large feather dusters. There are just some scattered reports that some will pick at smaller ones.
