Hardiness of Cleaner Shrimp?

Sythero · May 18, 2023

Re-entering reefing after being gone for 8 years, the price of Cleaner Shrimp has surprised me most.

Before I throw 2.5 hours of work (of my wage) on a prawn, how long do you all have your shrimps for? Back in the day I recall them being a bit more sensitive? But I was newer to the hobby and my shrimp-guy was kept in a FOWLR.

I'm keeping an 25g Lagoon with Softies and Macro, ~~ Nitrates may creep towards 15-20ppm, Salinity 1.025.

Any advice for caring for them?
Do you feed them directly?

ss30 · May 18, 2023

They are scavengers so no need to feed as long as there are fish in the tank, might last 2-3 years

doubleshot00 · May 18, 2023

Mines been in my tank for over a year. If you have a lot of corals they walk all over them and P them off. I have a love hate relationship with mine.

ss30 · May 18, 2023

Also if you spot feed corals with things like mysis it will be there and take it!

Stomatopods17 · May 18, 2023

Longest I had one was about a year.

Granted I blame myself for neglecting iodine in that tank. I also have a mean yellow tang that has picked the antenna off of one of them.

Also yeah prices have sky rocketed! I remember when I could buy an emerald crab for around 3 dollars 10 years ago... now everywhere they're $8-12 and some websites you can get them for $5. Makes feeders a pain for me.

Even chocolate chips for me were around 10 dollars a star + feeder discount a store kindly gave me, now they're around 15 dollars per star and the discount dropped AFAIK but I haven't had harlequin shrimp in a long while.

DaJMasta · May 18, 2023

They should be able to survive for a few years, if you get one fully grown it will not last quite as long, though. They will go for food if offered it (quite enthusiastically) and if you're feeding the corals, it's good to placate them with some first. They don't need particularly elaborate care, just keep your salinity and temperature in check and let them do their thing.

Two of the same species should generally get along and will spawn regularly (they are simultaneous hermaphrodites), but the larvae have something like a 5 month settling period, so you're not going to get more without a very concerted effort and other equipment. They get along with most things, including some other shrimp, but they'll bicker with fire cleaner shrimp (who seem like the bullies when they meet), though with separate territory it can still work.

I like them, they'll even sometimes clean you when you reach your hand in.

exnisstech · May 18, 2023

I've had two for 3+ years. Well I just looked and can only find one so I say maybe 3 years? I won't bother with them again. These 2 were in a 150 gallon and had a station where fish would come to be cleaned. They would even ride around on my naso while cleaning her. I moved everything into a 180g and the shrimp hid in the rocks and stayed there for the next 2 years. I haven't seen them a fish since the move even tho it's the same fish that were in the other tank.

SteveMM62Reef · May 19, 2023

For New Shrimp, I always put them in a Floating Live Bearer Container with a piece of pipe, for them to hide in. They always seem to molt, soon after acclimation, and don’t know where to hide. After this first molt, I release them. BTW, Look at the shrimp carefully, for any bulges on their bodies, I’ve seen a lot of Parasites, on Shrimps lately. No known cure, that I know of.

iamacat · May 19, 2023

I’ve moved away from them due to their unpredictable personalities. I’ve had a few live 3 years and be very active with the inhabitants. I’ve had others that just sit on the backside of a rock for a year or two and don’t do anything.

Now I’ve had a Coral Banded for 3 years and while he lives upside down all day, he atleast defends his rock and comes out for the last 2hrs of light to do his job.

the active Cleaners were my favorite but with cost and unpredictable behavior I don’t have an interest anymore

zoomonster · May 19, 2023

I have never seen them last more than 2-3 years which I think is their life expectancy and less the bigger they are when you get them. I just added two the other day and they were about $48 for the pair. I've pretty much always kept them and sometimes bloods but they hide all the time vs. very active and personable cleaners.