Cleaner Shrimp Care

[NotReefsafe]

Got my cleaner shrimp over the weekend and love it. It's doing well so far, although it really likes hanging on the underside of the powerhead (any way to get it to favor the rock?)

My only fish is a lone clown that I feed once or twice a day--pellets or frozen Mysis. Will the cleaner be okay in that environment? Anything I can do better?

 

[Idoc]

Got my cleaner shrimp over the weekend and love it. It's doing well so far, although it really likes hanging on the underside of the powerhead (any way to get it to favor the rock?)

My only fish is a lone clown that I feed once or twice a day--pellets or frozen Mysis. Will the cleaner be okay in that environment? Anything I can do better?

You can attempt to move the shrimp (gently) to a rock formation, but they do like to go hang out under things for safety. If he goes back to the powerhead, then there's not much you can do except maybe put a screen over the powerhead intake to maybe help keep it from pulling him into it.

The clown should leave him alone without issues. Just make sure he gets some of the frozen mysis and all should be good.

Don't freak out when you find the first molt. It will look exactly like the live shrimp.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Skunk cleaner shrimp are one of my absolute favorite inverts! You do not need to feed them anything extra - as long as you're feeding your fish they will clean up whatever hits the sand/rocks. I have noticed mine only like frozen food though, primarily frozen mysis - little cannibals, lol.

Another very cool thing about cleaner shrimp is you can "train" them to eat from your hand. They're often shy at first but will start to recognize you when you feed the tank. I'd first hold some food in tweezers really still until they started coming over to grab that, then in my fingertips, and then slowly they learned - I had one that would hop on my hand anytime I put it in the tank, and start cleaning my hand and fingers.

(Oh and I agree - try not to get freaked out when they molt. I've definitely thought I had a dead shrimp a few times at first, lol. You can leave it in the tank, it won't hurt anything).

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

They will do what they want. Agree with the previous post...if you are worried about the powerhead then maybe put a screen over it.

Love our two cleaner shrimp. I get "cleaned" every time I put my hand in the tank. We also will hand feed them on occasion (don't need to) by pinching a little food between fingers...let them dig a little and slowly unpinch fingers.

 

[NotReefsafe]

Thanks very much!

 

[FishOkay]

Speaking of molting cleaner shrimp, I've lost count of the amount of times my wife has come running telling me one of the cleaner shrimps is dead haha. These days i don't even bother running to the tank to check anymore, I'm just like yeah it's molted please shush your mouth.

 

[TokenReefer]

Speaking of molting cleaner shrimp, I've lost count of the amount of times my wife has come running telling me one of the cleaner shrimps is dead haha. These days i don't even bother running to the tank to check anymore, I'm just like yeah it's molted please shush your mouth.

lol. I admit It took some getting used to for me. Now the molt seems to happen regularly around the full moon (within a few days) so I look for it

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Yes nothing you can do to change behaviour of 'cleaner shrimp' these guys sometimes scare fish by trying to offer their service by climbing on them.
In time fish will accept them and appreciate, these are highly Beneficial