Cleaner shrimp actually cleaning fish!

[ROB2005]

I don't think cleaner shrimp will USUALLY attack others... but there are always exceptions. So far, mine is perfectly friendly with everything from my fish to the smallest cerith snail. They are opportunistic feeders though and will try to steal food from corals if they can get away with it, lol. I want a flame hawk SO bad, they are my favorite fish... but I am honestly too afraid it would attack my shrimp (my cleaner and my fire shrimp are both smaller, maybe 1.5" long). I know they have a rep for dive-bombing smaller shrimp. If you found a large cleaner shrimp maybe that'd work though? They're $40 locally for me so I just don't want to chance losing that investment to a hawkfish. (We have one in our office tank, so I at least get to see one every day lol)

Lol, I learned from experience not to mix the two. I kept wondering why my prized shrimp kept disappearing until I caught him one day with a piece of him in his mouth.

Needless to say he was banished to the sump for a few days and taken back to the LFS.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Lol, I learned from experience not to mix the two. I kept wondering why my prized shrimp kept disappearing until I caught him one day with a piece of him in his mouth.

Needless to say he was banished to the sump for a few days and taken back to the LFS.

Awww that's such a bummer. They're my absolute favorite marine fish. Here is the one that lives in our office tank - he's a character:

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

My skunk cleaners regularly pick over my fish in both tans I have them in (No shrimp in the big tank.. expensive snacks for the preds in there).

I've never had one come to my hand before. Would be fun to watch it try and clean my hand though.

 

[ROB2005]

Awww that's such a bummer. They're my absolute favorite marine fish. Here is the one that lives in our office tank - he's a character:

I’m telling you! I really liked him too. It was heartbreaking to let him go as he was the first to know when I was coming with food for the tank, and he would happily perch from rock to rock waiting to grab morsels!

 

[secret_reefer337]

My cleaner shrimp and two neon gobies take turns cleaning the tangs. The tangs would stop swimming and tilt their body to signal they ate ready for the cleanings. It is fun to watch them what they do in the wild.

 

[Viva'sReef]

My old shrimp would ride my yellow tang around the tank like a cowboy!! haha, it was hilarious.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I’m telling you! I really liked him too. It was heartbreaking to let him go as he was the first to know when I was coming with food for the tank, and he would happily perch from rock to rock waiting to grab morsels!

I'm sure it was! I love the fish with big personalities that are also beautiful. My big fat bicolor blenny will have to fill that role for now - he's so funny! Just not as bright and flashy as the flamehawk. Our office one is hilarious, often perching vertically on the glass or chillin' on top of the nori clip, lol.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Guys. I was just watching my fish tonight as usual, checking each one out as I do daily, and seeing how all the corals are doing. My cleaner shrimp was hanging out upside down from his favorite overhang, and my big bicolor blenny decided to perch next to him. All of a sudden, the shrimp moved over to the blenny and started cleaning him! The blenny allowed it, and even let it pick around its gills and climb on its head! My husband thought I was nuts because I was like "OMG LOOK! HE'S CLEANING HIM!" Lol... I wish I had my phone nearby so I could capture it - I never thought I'd ever actually see it happen. Just had to share my excitement, as I'm the only one interested in my household - and I know this group would understand and probably think it was cool too. (Pic of "Bubba" the shrimp still hanging out after the blenny swam away). I should add, the shrimp also jumps on my hand whenever I have to reach into the tank and starts picking at it, lol. Startled me the first time he did it!

Omg I caught it on camera today! (*Doing happy dance, lol*)
Hard to see the blenny as he blends into the rocks, but it was so cool to watch again!

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

My old shrimp would ride my yellow tang around the tank like a cowboy!! haha, it was hilarious.

Omg that's amazing lol

 

[mcgallagherc]

This just happened

 

[LegendaryCG]

My scopas tangs best friend is his cleaner shrimp.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

This just happened

Awesome!