Is there an easy way to keep my cleaner shrimp from stealing food?

[Radioheadx14]

Every time it try to feed any of my corals, LPS or now, The scarlet clean shrimp swipe them fist. The only thing i have been able to do is constantly shoe them off with a pipette or slowly feed from from a pipette while the corals slowly eat their food... A real pain in the ***!

Is there any easier ways to feed, say a branching hammer?

 

[Lotus99]

I have problems with my peppermints, too. The only ways I've found are either giving them a big meaty piece to eat (a half a krill each or a chunk of squid) or guarding my corals.

You could consider the soda-bottle top over the corals to keep the food safe while they eat.

 

[sufunk]

Ditto what lotus said. My peppermints mad me so mad i cant even put it in words stealing food from my scolys and acans:mad2:

Only way to stop it was to give each of them a large piece of shrimp before feeding. Dont skimp on the piece you give them though! You'd be amazed how fast they polish off a chunk of meat and come looking for more!

 

[Radioheadx14]

i don't underestimate them... they are pigs... just like my clown

 

[JUICE!]

you can also place a bowel or something over the corals while they eat....just a thought. I have a bad problem with my sun corals and duncans.....

now I seem to have trained the shrimp to wait until the bowl is gone, and reach down into the corals and pull the stuff out of their stomaches.

I think the easiest way would be to squash the shrimp........or not hand feed the corals anymore.....

Now I feed the tank, then feed the sun corals and duncans.....then after the shrimp are done playing doctor.....I feed the corals.....

 

[FEEDERFISH]

Feed them first to keep them occupied