Cleaner Shrimp ?

[Lpabsolute]

I recently purchased a small cleaner shrimp last week. After day two i noticed that he molted in the tank. So i took out the old skin and have yet to see my cleaner. I've heard that they will hide in a new tank until the get use to their new surrondings. I also heard that they will hide after molting until their new skin in strong. I'm just hoping to see my cleaner in action. Anyone out there go through the same prob. of now seeing their cleaner once they put them in their tank? Thanks...

 

[Bugs825]

mine has molted about 5 times and i got him about 4 months ago. He is very social. He is always out and cleans my hand when i put it in to move stuff.

He wants to clean my new carpet anemone sooooo bad but does not like the sting. I'm hoping he doesn't end up getting eaten.

yours might not be as social yet. Give him time.


Nathan

 

[tanker]

He is probably hiding after a molt. You don't have any trigger fish in the tank do you??

 

[integlikewhoa]

or wrasses do you? Some do hide alot. Should come out with food.

 

[Lpabsolute]

tanker and integlikewhoa

I currently have no fish in my tank. Just corals, crabs, snails, 3 sexy shrimp and my small cleaner. i don't even see him when i put food in the tank. i look for him when the lights are on and at night when my moonlights are on i take a flashlight and try to find him. should i be worried?

 

[tanker]

Try a red-light, reef animals cannot see red. How did you aclimate it?? Shrimps are very sensitive to chemical changes.

I would wait for a few more days. My shrimp would always hide after a molt, but would still come out to grab food.

 

[Fmellish]

Mine seem to molt every week. The dude has grown tons since I got him less than a month ago. I just leave the molts in the tank. I guess I'm lazy.

He gets less and less shy every day. He jumps on my hand when its in the tank. He comes out at night and during the day during feed time.

He has a special relationship with one of my Anthias. The Anthias must have a parasite as he spends most of the day with the shrimp cleaning him.

Josh

 

[joeychitwood]

My cleaner shrimp hid for the first three weeks in the tank, coming out only at night. Now it roams freely in the tank day and night. It gets very excited when I add flakes to the tank.

 

[johnb0184]

Add a fish, mine follows my fish around all day trying to clean them.

 

[XeniaMania]

Sexy shrimp? What's that? Just cuz molting is like stripping, I don't think they should be deemed sexy..

 

[deansreef]

I have 2 cleaner shrimp in my 180 and they molt probably like 1 time a month, they are always out in the open also

 

[Lpabsolute]

Spoke to the LFS where i purchased the shrimp today. They said that i should have added iodine to the tank to help with the molting process. I was like ahhhh....never heard of that. I know plenty of people with cleaners who dont' do this. They also told me that if my shrimp doesn't come out soon then he prob. died in the molting process.

 

[Surfzup2k4]

Tideline just blows ***

 

[XeniaMania]

Whew..good thing my tank is iodine rich..

 

[tanker]

I have shrimps and crabs. My oldest cleaner shrimp just died (after almost 4 years), and I have never added iodine.

I would not add anything I could not or did not measure 1st.

 

[Lpabsolute]

Broke down and got another Cleaner

Broke down and got another Cleaner

Well, i finally broke down and decided to go back and purchase another cleaner shrimp. My though was hopefully i will have a better experience with the new cleaner, plus if my other cleaner came out of hidding and was ok i would just catch him and take him back to the LFS for store credit or something. The new cleaner is completely different in every way. When i put him in the tank he never even tried to hide or go behind any rocks. He was all over the tank checking out every hole. This guy has a better personality than my first cleaner who is still MIA. I think i'm going to be happy with this new guy.........
Some pics below...

 

[sean48183]

You definately don't need to add iodine. I feed mine twice a week and they will get iodine from the food. I switch between fresh squid and flake food. Just hold a peice in your hand and he will climb right on and take it off.

 

[mr pink floyd]

mine was always out, then it dided one day after abotu a year

 

[Lpabsolute]

sean48183
Don't worry about that. I wasn't planning on adding it. If the first couple of hours are any indication then it looks like my new cleaner is going to be fine. Thanks...

 

[sean48183]

Congrats and enjoy. They are alot of fun.