which cleaner shrimp is best

[chiefrokka]

I want to get one or two shrimp... i have a 75g reef tank with xenia, zoos, shrooms.... can you give me a list of the best shrimp and how well they do with corals/fish?

do they need to be in pairs or more? or will they be fine with just 1?

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also, I'm going to get Emerald Crabs to help control my bubble algae i'm starting to get... any suggestions? how many should I get? will they kill coral/fish/each other?

thanks

 

[chiefrokka]

man, nobody likes to reply to my questions anymore. work with me folks on this simple question. i'm going back and forth between peppermint shrimp and fire shrimp?

 

[chiefrokka]

saltwater fish has a nice deal on peppermints... 5 pack for 15 bucks... i just don't want to get too many of them without knowing how they are.

 

[PoukieBear]

I Suggest a Coral banded Shrimp. Only get one tho, they can get teritorial.

 

[jcgso]

Fire shrimp look great and don't bother anything, but are expensive. I also have three skunk cleaners. They all get along and don't bother fish or corals. As for peppermints, I gave up on them, since they always dissapear after a while. Something was obviously eating them.

 

[zimmy1979]

Whatever you do..don't get a pistol shrimp or harlequin shrimp. Pistol shrimp has the loudest clicking noise on the planet and can be mean and the harlequin requires you to feed it starfish (damn awesome looking shrimp though).

 

[mcrase]

My peppermint shrimp always seem to hide. Do the others hide most of the time too? I was thinking about getting a few skunk cleaners myself.

 

[smleee]

Skunk cleaners are great, they even clean your hands. Feeding corals are a bit of a pain with skunk cleaners though.....they nab all the food out of polyps, LPS, etc. even when they are fully closed. :sad1:

eee

 

[chiefrokka]

does anybody have a fire shrimp? i like the red look with white legs... do they hide all the time? now i'm torn between fire shrimp and skunk shrimp.. pepper seems to be out of equation now... haven't heard/read great things about em... maybe thats why their so cheap

 

[NEEDMONEYFORMORESALT]

i have a couple of fire shrimp, basically they are the same as cleaner shrimp. They are decent scavengers but mostly have them for looks and cleaning of fish capabilities.

 

[jarice1978]

I would definitely say Skunk Cleaner shrimp or a fire shrimp. I have one of each. The Skunk cleaner is way better though because he is out and about all day long. The fire shrimp mainly hides under a shelf type rock in the darkness upside down all day. The fire shrimp rarely comes out in the light except during feeding time and that is brief. He is an awesome looking shrimp though once he comes out and crawls around.

I have had camelback shrimp(4) before and had to get rid of them because when I introduced an anemone and soft corals, they kept trying to eat them. Removing 4 of these shrimp was horrible. I had to remove all of my live rock just to catch them!

As for peppermints, I would use some caution. Even though I have not had any, I have read that some people use them to kill aptaisa. Aptaisia is basically a nuisance anemone species right? So it wouldn't be a real long stretch to find a peppermint shrimp eating a prefferred anemone or maybe even some soft coral.

Then again thats just my thoughts. Anyone???


J

 

[chiefrokka]

thanks jarice... I might go with the skunk then just because he's out during the day more. good to know. does the skunk and fire shrimp bother any soft corals? i have xenia's, zoos, shrooms will they be ok?

 

[whiteshark]

I second Jarice. I have a fire shrimp and a skunk cleaner. Fire hides all day, skunk is out all day. Fire is really cool tho, comes out when I feed the fish. I would stick with one or both of these.

 

[Glove]

I love the skunk cleaners. Mine is always out picking at something.
Very easy to care for, friendly....they will pick at the corals, trick is to feed the shrimp first.
You could have a couple in a 75 gallon and maybe me able to get a fire shrimp in a few months.
I have a emerald crab that sorta picks at the algea. Doesnt touch the bubble stuff though. I have watched it go after a colony of zoas that were on thier way out. I think they will eat anything.
Probably best to try pulling the bubbles off manualy (dont pop em!)

 

[chiefrokka]

ya, i heard the emeralds are a hit and miss with touching the bubble algae. after hearing you say you watched the emerald go after a colony of zoas I'm very hesitant to now get one... I get all the big pieces of bubbles out by picking, but there are a bunch of small ones growing in crevices I cant get or I'd pop them.

I've heard you cant pop them or they release eggs to spread... but if a emerald eats them isn't he popping them in the same sense?

 

[vanleeuwen]

75 gallons, go 4 the skunk cleaners more activity and fun!
Get them in pairs if you have fish they will make a station to clean them.
Fire shrimp are beautiful but hide most of the time, just feed a little more mice ore other food and the cleaner will gladly "clean" it up 4 you and stay of youre corals.

 

[jjirsa78]

Have a fire shrimp and a skunk cleaner - never see the fire shrimp. The skunk is playful and entertaining. I'd go for a skunk.

 

[chiefrokka]

great! sounds like skunk takes majority... get t hem in pairs huh? do they tag-team the cleaning station or do they each have their own and leave each other alone? i just dont want to spend another 25 if they are independent of each other and don't even interact i guess.