Cleaner shrimps, do I need to feed them?

[khalisee]

Hello everyone,

Shall I feed my cleaner shrimps, or I should consider that they eat enough by cleaning? I realised that they get always over excited when I feed my fish. They also try to get some food but usually they cannot swim until there.

 

[Jason mack]

I always fed mine when I fed the fish .. but they are also part of your clean up crew and will find what is left over as well

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

It seems they are always jonesing for food--see thread here for some additional feedback as well.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/skunk-cleaner-shrimp-starving-or-just-excited.338745/

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

I always fed mine when I fed the fish .. but they are also part of your clean up crew and will find what is left over as well

@Jason mack
Do you have separate food for them, or they just snag some of your food for others?

 

[Jason mack]

I feed Artemia , flakes ,mysis ,brine shrimp , to my fish .. the cleaner shrimps will eat anything

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

My experience as well - frantic eaters of anything up for grabs

 

[saltyhog]

A better question is, "is there any way to keep from feeding them?" They will out compete most of the fish in your tank for food. My only beef with them is that they make it difficult to feed slow responding corals such as plate corals, duncans and even a couple of my "lazy" rock flower anemones. Most of my RFA's ingest food so fast it isn't a consideration for them.

 

[Garbonzo]

I have two cleaners that hang out under a pair of RBTAs, so before I feed the nem pieces of oyster or scallop I will take 2 small pieces of whatever I'm feeding and give it directly to each shrimp so they're occupied and don't fight the anemone for food.

 

[User1]

@Garbonzo - that is why I no longer keep shrimp. Any shrimp for that matter. Little guys always scrounging or foraging for a crumb and it never fails they irritate the anemones or other coral that has a polyp that closes to eat. The only down side is that if/when you get a mated pair the free food they yield with eggs. Sort of ironic I guess because that is when the corals pay them back for all the agitation they cause.

Mini food chain right there in our aquarium

 

[carlo_oz]

I wouldn’t be 2 worried about the shrimp. They are scavenger for sure. I have a love hate relationship with them. Specially when it’s time to spot feed the corals. Am sure am not the only one with this problem lol.

 

[Som1else]

Sometimes I have to give the shrimp a squirt of food so that they dont attack the LPS when im trying to spot feed them. That goes for my greedy fish too.
Even if I didnt directly feed them they always grab the food that floats by when I am just feeding the fish normally.