Cleaner Shrimp

[BigEZ77]

Does a cleaner shrimp really add that much assistance to a reef tank? I have one who constantly pesters the corals when I feed them and I have never seen it clean a fish. I'm looking at getting a Flame Hawk and know the shrimp will likely be dinner for the hawk. Am I looking at a serious disadvantage without a cleaner shrimp?

Thanks,

 

[Stevarino]

Not at all.. I got rid of a cleaner shrimp I had in a 20 gallon tank for the same reasons you listed above. It was more of a pest than anything else.

 

[Fish Keeper82]

I would only keep one if you like the look of them.
Mine perch under a hangover rock all day and only move when feeding time.
Mine don't steal from corals and they scavenger the thank at night so I like mine.
If you get rid of yours you won't miss out on anything.

 

[BigEZ77]

10-4, thx

 

[lockdown52]

My Tangs line up for my two cleaner shrimp to do business with them. It's pretty neat to watch.

 

[jlmawp]

Does a cleaner shrimp really add that much assistance to a reef tank? I have one who constantly pesters the corals when I feed them and I have never seen it clean a fish. I'm looking at getting a Flame Hawk and know the shrimp will likely be dinner for the hawk. Am I looking at a serious disadvantage without a cleaner shrimp?

Thanks,

Mine does this sometimes, too. Really ticks off my duncan, which stays closed for the rest of the day. It even gets slimy on some occasions when he won't stop bothering it.

I've started doing a general feeding, waiting five minutes, then manually feeding the corals. The shrimp is usually pretty chill by then. Sometimes I give him a couple gentle bumps with the turkey baster and he backs off.

 

[anthonys51]

to answer your question. yes your tank will be ok without the cleaner shrimp in your tank.

they arent necessary, yes they will steal food out of corals. no this wont kill the coral, yes it will annoy it, but if annoying kills thing my wife would of killed me years ago

i have 2 cleaner, and a fathead dendro. so i have to feed every 3 days the 8 heads. you have no idea how annoying my 2 shrimps are. but i leave them in becuase they really do a great job of finding and eating uneaten food.

 

[j_mazzy]

which shrimp?

 

[anthonys51]

which shrimp?

pretty sure he is referring to skunk cleaner shrimp

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+696&pcatid=696

 

[BigEZ77]

Yup

 

[neiltus]

I have two. When my kids do their homework sloppy, I tell them if it's not neat, I will stick their toes in the tank and let the shrimp attack.

 

[anthonys51]

Lol yes every time I put my hand in the tank they attack lol


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[rocsec1]

I've had one and they are neat but not really needed

 

[Grimreaperz]

Yeah anytime i am doing any type of maintenance he scares the living **** out of me by sneaking up on me and attacking my hand...thinking of trading him for some peppermint shrimp instead.

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[lifeoffaith]

I loved mine, it is now gone but had him for a couple years before he died. He did clean up food on the bottom of the tank, but other than that he didn't do anything spectacular other than "clean" my hands when I stuck them in.

 

[Fiver]

Yeah anytime i am doing any type of maintenance he scares the living **** out of me by sneaking up on me and attacking my hand...thinking of trading him for some peppermint shrimp instead.

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Sorry to break it to you, but peppermint shrimp love cleaning your hands, too. Mine does, anyway.

 

[Grimreaperz]

Sorry to break it to you, but peppermint shrimp love cleaning your hands, too. Mine does, anyway.

Really? Did not know that...darn. At least they have the chance of being more beneficial than Skunk Cleaner. In the hopes they eat aptasia.

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[Willyboz1]

I love the look of them but I can't keep them alive for some reason

 

[Fiver]

Really? Did not know that...darn. At least they have the chance of being more beneficial than Skunk Cleaner. In the hopes they eat aptasia.

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Yep. Mine makes a bee-line for my hand whenever it gets the chance. My female clown's territoriality prevents that from happening often, though.

 

[anthonys51]

Yep. Mine makes a bee-line for my hand whenever it gets the chance. My female clown's territoriality prevents that from happening often, though.

peppermint shrimp is the common name for 2 different shrimps.
also i read, never witnessed first hand they might also pick on lps.

my peppermint doesnt try to clean my hand like the skunk cleaners do. those 2 guys are fearless