how do you catch a cleaner shrimp??

[thomasp123]

I have two cleaner shrimp who for the last 8 months have been good tank citizens but now have taken to terrorizing the reef. they are pain to my duncan who in the last 4 months has gone from 2 to 10 heads but now is hardly ever open as the cleaners pester it allthe time. I have tried to catch the shrimp and put them in the refugium but they hid when the they see me coming. does anyone have any ideas on a trap any other method to catch theses beasts.

Tom

 

[reefergeorge]

A trigger fish should do the trick.

Mine used to come right to my hand for food. I couldn't imagine when the come to the food it would be that hard to net them.

 

[saltjohnswharf]

Are these skunk cleaners? My skunks used to jump in my hand whenever I was moving rock or doing anything else in the tank. Other cleaners I have used to dart around the tank like crazy and always hid. To catch them I cut the top off a 2 liter bottle and inverted it. I then put a piece of raw salmon inside. The little dumbies were in within the hour.

 

[gradth]

Weird, I have 3 and they cause no problems at all. All I have to do is stick my hand in the tank and they swarm to it.

 

[gumbii]

put some food on your hand and grab them...

 

[FutureBoyGenius]

My cleaner shrimp will not stay off of my zoanthids. He aggrivates them constantly, poking inside of them and making them close up. I hate to remove him but he keeps stealing the food from my corals and agrivating them.

 

[stumpovrtyme]

I have 4 skunk cleaners in 55 and they never mess with anything except my GSP when they walk on them. I second just stick your hand in there they usually jump right on and start cleaning the dead skin off your hand. then just net them or grab them I would say. Always easier said than done Im sure.

 

[KDDG]

Yep. Mine would always swim over and land right in my hand. He liked to clean under my fingernails. I have never heard of a cleaner shrimp hiding from someone or passing up the opportunity for a cube of frozen food. Try holding a piece in your fingers and see if he doesn't just come on over to get it.

 

[stumpovrtyme]

May I suggest! :uzi: :hammer:

 

[Gdevine]

My guess is that your shrimp are starving and thus eating coral. Try feeding them directly that may do the trick. I feed my pep's a couple of times a feed with bits of silversides.

 

[thomasp123]

Well they are on to the fact that I am trying to catch them. That is why they hide when I put my hand in there. I like the bottle idea and will give that a try. As for them starving and that is why they are pests I do feet them whe I feed the corals. I have have recently cut back on the amount of food I give the tank as I had a problem with cyano. I was feeding a cube of food every moring and evening and I got a lot of advice that it was too much so I cut back. now I feed a few pellets in the moring and a cube three times a week. The cyano is much better but the shrimp are a pain.