Multiple shrimp combatability

[Mathfreak71]

I have had my tank for about 4 months now and I have a pair of ocellaris clowns, a yellow watchman goby, an emerald crab and various hermits and snails.

It turns out my wife likes the shrimp and crabs as much as the fish. So she would like to add at least one peppermint shrimp, a randalli pistol shrimp (to buddy up with my watchman goby) and at least one sexy shrimp (Possibly 2 or 3 because I have read they do well in small groups.)

I don't think there should be any problems with these. I know pistol shrimp can kill other shrimp but that is why I am picking the randalli because it is the most peaceful of the pistol shrimp.

Anyone have experience with the cohabitation of any of these? Anybody believe there would likely be problems?

 

[philter4]

Multiple shrimp is a deffinite possibility, but sexy shrimp are tiny and easily eaten by the fish you have, especially the clowns as the sexy shrimp will try to go the the anemone. I would try something bigger like a cleaner or coral banded, there are lots of reports of coral bandeds being agressive, but there are several species and some of the blue and gold are not only much smaller but a lot more peaceful.

 

[Dave Harms]

In my experience peppermint shrimp and emerald crabs are the DEVIL! I have witnessed both eating healthy corals.

A skunk cleaner or fire shrimp would make a good addition along with a pistol shrimp. I have a fire shrimp and 2 pistols in my tank.

 

[darkside212]

would peppermint and cleaner shrimp get along together?

 

[Mathfreak71]

I have 2 peppermints and 1 cleaner now. They don't pay any attention to one another.

 

[darkside212]

cool thanks...

 

[Micromussa]

Yes the randalli are considered more peaceful, but thats only in comparison to the bigger pistols, it will kill the smaller inverts. I tried to overfeed mine so it would feel like it has no need for hunting but still killed a hermit and a sexy shrimp before he got banned into the fuge

 

[K.Sweeney]

I have 2 cleaner s and 3 sexy and are fine together. I'm going to get 1 mor e cleaner and 3 more sexys. The sexys are cute and dont hide as such but can be hard to see. But for me a dont like crabs and hermits. shimp are a safer bet.

 

[ScarletReef]

"In my experience peppermint shrimp and emerald crabs are the DEVIL! I have witnessed both eating healthy corals."

Most times when 'peppermint shrimp' eat corals they are actually camel shrimp that have been mislabeled, at least IME. If the shrimp has white with the red stripes, it is actually a camel shrimp. You want them to be just clear and red, not white, clear, and red.

 

[ceratophyllum]

I've had 3 peppermint shrimp in my 55 since July. At first they were extremely timid and hid in a big rock for like 3 weeks. Then I started to see them out at night, under moonlight LED lighting. As they continued to settle in, they must have observed my feeding the fish because they started showing up at feeding times. By september, they were getting incredibly tame: they're always on patrol for food day and night and come to my hands when I scrape algae off the front glass. They look like they're about ready to eat me. Must think I'm made of Formula One pellets!

My tank is pretty basic: just a false percula clown, yellow tail blue damsel, and watchman goby and a heap of live rock.

 

[coralreefer80]

With a pistol, it all depends on the personality of the one you get. I would suggest getting one and see how it acts toward your CUC, then add the other shrimp if it is calm. I've had pistols on both ends of the spectrum - on that wouldn't hurt anything and one that even killed a goby that was trying to pair with it.

 

[clayw]

how about hareqins and sexys? 2 harlequins and 4 sexys?

 

[Mathfreak71]

From what I understand Harlequins only eat starfish. So I don't think they will hurt the sexys but you have to be willing to provide the starfish for the harlequins. I haven't gotten any sexys yet but I have heard they are very small and therefore easy for fish or other shrimp to prey on.

 

[clayw]

ya providing stars is no problem...i want to keep 2 harlys and a few sexys...along with a firefish, maybe a clown pair or something else...

 

[Veosk]

my banded ate both of my cleaners.

 

[Urchinhead]

Be aware that Harly's waste byproduct (the pieces of star fish they don't eat) is rather nasty and as such you will want good filtration including a good sized skimmer and flow.

Also Peppermints, Skunks, Fire, etc should do ok in a tank large enough for each to have its own territory. I have 4 peppermint and one fire in my 60 right now and will be adding a skunk in the next few weeks. But odds are you won't see much of them except after lights out or at feeding time as they tend to hide.

You can also teach them to hand feed from you (yes I had *ALLOT* of free time on my hands ) Find out where the hole up, start out with a feeding stick or the like until they are used to taking food from it then switch to your fingers, then ultimately your hand.

I had a skunk and fire who would each come out of their holes and sit in my cupped hand to eat bits of food when it was feeding time. The skunk would also debride any smalls cuts I had on my had as well as take off bits of dead skin like it was cleaning a fish...