Cleaner shrimp question

[shalegac]

Will a cleaner shrimp clean a tank raised percula clown? Also I have two pepperment shrimp, will that be a problem? Tank is a ten gallon. Thanks.

 

[danmhippo]

Don't really know the behavior of numerous shrimps in small tanks, but I don't think there should be any problem with your concerns in tanks 30gal+. I believe cleaner shrimps are obligatory cleaner, and the instinct comes with them naturally.

 

[shalegac]

I'm sure the crab would be willing to do his part but I just don't know about Nemo (j/k).

 

[shalegac]

opps, shrimp.

 

[investigator1]

They will probably get along but I feel that it's too many shrimp for a ten gallon tank. There is not enough hair algae that can support them for a long time.

Also a cleaner shrimp will eventually clean any fish but it may take a while to develop a relationship.

 

[shalegac]

thank you.

 

[Anonymous]

My experience has been that cleaner shrimp are hit or miss when it comes to cleaning fish. I have seen my cleaner shrimp clean my lawnmower blenny, flameback angel, yellow tang and scarlet hawkfish. However, my false perc and cleaner shrimp have never shown the slightest bit of interest in one other.

If you haven't purchased the cleaner yet, I would skip it. JMO.

Chris

 

[AllenF]

My flame and yellow tail damsels wont have anything to do with my scarlet cleaner shrimp....and the poor guy is always trying.

He will rarely clean the marine beta.

I have also witnessed my neon goby cleaning the marine beta.

Usually the other fish "nip" at the cleaner to get him to leave them alone.

However, i have seen him grab a food table 1/3 his size from a fish and carry it away lol. When really hungry, I have seen him launch off of the live rock and kinda "swim" towards floating food....everyone once in a while he actually may get a piece, but he isnt much of a swimmer. laugh.

 

[Mogo]

When I intro'd a couple cleaner shrimp a few years ago, my fish lined up for a cleaning within 10 minutes! Absolutely amazing to watch. Months later, like an idiot I added lunare wrasse. The shrimp didn't last 5 minutes

 

[Anonymous]

I have a Peppermint that does a fine job on my Sebae Clowns. The blue/green Damsels don't bother with it.

My Skunk cleaner in another tank tries, but barely gets anyone to hold still long enough.

 

[Anonymous]

They will probably get along but I feel that it's too many shrimp for a ten gallon tank. There is not enough hair algae that can support them for a long time.

Since when do cleaner shrimp need hair algae? Both my cleaner and peppermint shrimp eat anything that the fish don't catch. Occasionally I put food tablets into the tank to give the fish something to attack. Two days ago my cleaner shrimp grabbed the tablet and rolled it under a rock with him. Ticked off my tangs who couldn't get it fast enough.

I also feed the shrimps mysis with a dropper and they appreciate it.

 

[AllenF]

Agreed.

I dropped a piece of spurila (spelling?) algae tablet in my tank which the Tang missed and the Marine Beta ate whole....he then swam to the back of the rocks and spit it out. My Scarlet crab grabbed it up and went down a whole with it....didnt see him for a day after that.

 

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I have cleaner shrimp in a tank with a sailfin tang, hepatus tang, a chromis, mandarin, and a foxface. The shrimp have never cleaned any of the fish in that tank.

So I don't think tank raised has anything to do with it. I feel as if it has more to do with how many other sources of food there are in the tank. I feed heavily, so my shrimp have no need to clean parasites. Or they are just extra lazy.