Banded Coral Shrimp vs. Cleaner Shrimp

[Mouse51180]

2 Questions...

1) I am wanting to get a shrimp. My buddy bought a cleaner shrimp to help keep the ick and other gunk off the fish, but I think I like the banded coral shrimp better. Will be do the same tasks as the cleaner shrimp...as in:

"Cleaner Shrimp will set up a cleaning station on coral reefs or rubble, waiting for fish to come and be cleaned. It feeds on ectoparasites or dead tissue that it picks from the body and oral cavities/gills of these fish (e.g.; Tangs or Groupers) in the wild or in the aquarium."

As per the description from www.liveaquaria.com

2) I have been told to get a detrivore kit. If I put a shrimp or a starfish or any other inverts (i.e. crabs) will they eat the critters from the detrivore kit? I guess what I am asking is which comes first the inverts or the pods?

Thanks for you advise.
Mouse

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[Len]

Hey Mouse, good to see ya here too. Hopefully you got the help you were looking for in #reefs. For the benefit of those on the BB, the answers give in the chatroom are:
1) no, CBS aren't cleaners
2) the mobile inverts will eat some but probably not all the newly introduced detrivores before they establish themselves in the substrate. Best to add them at night.

 

[krullulon]

i've had my 2 scarlet cleaner shrimp for a month, and they're awesome... super-friendly and playful, and started cleaning my first fish the day after he came out of the QT!

i've noticed way less pod activity on their side of the tank, fwiw -- they're on the far-left of my 90g, and compared to the far-right the pod population is about 1/20th.

they've also grabbed some food from my bubble coral, but generally mind their own business if i keep them well-fed with small chunks of krill, mysis and formula 1. they also developed a penchant for hanging-out on my finger leather that wasn't reciprocated, so i had to move the leather to the other side of the tank.

all in all, i've found them to be a great addition... but might be a bit trickier to keep outta the other critters' business if the tank was much smaller.

 

[Anonymous]

CB shrimps are not entirely unknown to be aggressive with fish, large ones even being suspected of snagging them. I'd go for a true cleaner shrimp over a CB any day of the week, heck, my cleaners used to keep my cuticles very nice and neat!

 

[Anonymous]

no, CBS aren't cleaners

Actually Stenopus hispidus are cleaners! :?
They are however aggressive to other shrimp in your system unless you have a mated pair. If underfed these critters will attack sick or dying tankmates i.e. fish, snails, etc.

Regards,
David Mohr

 

[Anonymous]

Stenopus-lover!

 

[Bojangles]

I wouldn't trust these guys with small fish once they get medium-large size just by going on what others have experienced.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... pCatId=698

I have scarlet cleaners and i like them very much.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... pCatId=697

Around here most places sell any shrimp for 19.99 except one which is 6.99 - 9.99.

 

[candide]

Is it safe to mix a peppermint shrimp with a scarlet shrimp in a 125g tank?

 

[Anonymous]

It should be, as long as it's Lysmata wurdemanni.