lifespan of a cleaner shrimp

[Lynn]

Does anyone know the anwswer to this? I lost my really big one today. Everything else looks fine,including the smaller one.

 

[NoriMuncher]

I've heard 3 years, but I have no idea if that's from a reliable source.

 

[danmhippo]

Don't know about the life expectancy of them but are you sure you saw a dead cleaner shrimp, not just molted shell? Did you see the flesh inside the shell?

 

[EmilyB]

2 plus years and counting. I have six of them, they are getting enormous.

 

[danmhippo]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MattM:
<strong>They molt quite often, check the shell like Jim-Dan suggested.</strong><hr></blockquote>

LOL! Dan, Damnhippo, Dan-hippo, Hippo, Hip, DH, Jimmy, Jimmyhippo............ and now Jim-Dan? LOL!

(signed what'du'ma call it)

 

[MattM]

Seems logical to me...

I saw you posted in another thread that everyone calls you Dan now even though your name is Jimmy, so......

 

[Anonymous]

who the heck is jimmy??

 

[MandarinFish]

Will a grouper munch a cleaner shrimp every time?

I want to introduce a cleaner shrimp to keep my V-tail grouper healthy, but fear he may just chow down on it.

 

[jhaag]

I've had 2 cleaner shrimp in my 55gal for about 18 months now and they seem to be doing really well. They are extremely hardy and aside from the ocassional snail that they share with the hermit crabs, they are great.

 

[MattM]

From the time I drop it until it almost hits the water of the triggerfish/lionfish/grouper tank - 0.23 seconds.

But seriously folks...

They molt quite often, check the shell like Jim-Dan suggested.

 

[MandarinFish]

I was thinking of heavily feeding the grouper first, getting it really full and sick of food.

THEN introducing the cleaner shrimp.

IF the shrimp was large enough (not bite-sized) and IF the grouper (about 8") was full, I was hoping the shrimp would be alright.

(the grouper picked on my Coral Beauty when I first introduced it, then chilled out... now the CB hangs out next to the grouper and brushes up against him all the time!)

What do you think?

 

[danmhippo]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MandarinFish:
<strong>I was thinking of heavily feeding the grouper first, getting it really full and sick of food.
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hmmm, Are you sure if the grouper will EVER be satiated with food offered? IME grouper and triggers are always hungry......

It's a tough call.

Or you may want to remove he predators for a few days, introduce the Cleaners, Rearrange the rocks and reintroduce the predators.

 

[scooterr]

I recently lost one of my big ones too. It was nearing 4 years. Everything else is going well in the tank.
btw- sorry jim-dan

 

[danmhippo]

Huh? Sorry? For what? Whatever it maybe, I will send my attorney's bill to you!

 

[scooterr]

Yeah, send it to

scooterr
c/o tangirl
{SQUAT} club house

[ April 11, 2002: Message edited by: scooterr ]</p>

 

[Lynn]

I may be blond, but I'm not blind (not yet anyways!!) It was the shrimp.

 

[ecoman001]

I've had one for 6+ years.

 

[MattM]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MandarinFish:
<strong>Will a grouper munch a cleaner shrimp every time?</strong><hr></blockquote>

It's a tough call. There are 2 issues:

1) 9 times out of 10, the grouper will eat first and worry about species ID later. In other words, they may not plan to eat cleaner shrimp, but it's gone before they see what it is.

2) In the wild, the grouper probably doesn't see them that often. He knows where they hang out and goes there when he wants a cleaning. In the tank, they would be around all the time, so I'm not confident about how the shrimp would fare when they are right in front of him and the grouper is thinking "I don't need cleaning, but I am hungry..."

So it's theoretically possible to do, but it's very dependent on how you introduce the shrimp - shrimp first, grouper later would probably be better. And, I can't say that I've ever seen it done successfully in captivity.

 

[dvb]

I have had two for about 6 months, but they seem to molt about once a month. When I first got them, I checked my tank one morning and just the head was sticking out of the mouth of my brain coral. I hope it liked it, the shell that is!

 

[Anonymous]

Comming up on 4 years this October.