I Think My Coral Shrimp is Broken

[vgliha]

I have a Banded Coral Shrimp that I inherited with a tank I purchased. It also came with a Yellow Tang. The Tang swims up to the Shrimp all the time BEGGING for a cleaning. The Tag turns sideways and tries to get close. The shrimp wants absolutely nothing to do with the Tang and will respond defensively trying to pinch, never a pulling in gesture. Once he's pinched, sometimes pretty hard, the Tang swims away only to try again a few hours later. Is this normal behavior or is my Banded Shrimp broken and being mean?

 

[Miller535]

I have a Banded Coral Shrimp that I inherited with a tank I purchased. It also came with a Yellow Tang. The Tang swims up to the Shrimp all the time BEGGING for a cleaning. The Tag turns sideways and tries to get close. The shrimp wants absolutely nothing to do with the Tang and will respond defensively trying to pinch, never a pulling in gesture. Once he's pinched, sometimes pretty hard, the Tang swims away only to try again a few hours later. Is this normal behavior or is my Banded Shrimp broken and being mean?

I know some places claim coral banded shrimp serve as cleaner shrimp, but I have never seen this.. Coral banded shrimp ime are just scavengers. Not sure why your tang would behave that way. I have had cleaner wrasse's and true cleaner shrimp, and more times then not my tangs just get annoyed by the constant attempts at cleaning.

 

[homer1475]

Coral banded shrimp are not cleaner shrimp. I think your tang might be the one confused.

I know some places call them a banded cleaner shrimp, but I have never seen one clean anything other then itself.

 

[Fishy212]

I have seen my coral banded shrimp clean my clown before. They were the first inhabitants of my tank and are very friendly with each other. Get a cleaner shrimp or blood shrimp.

 

[Formidableone14]

Ive never seen a Banded or heard of one as a "cleaner shrimp", mostly I hear that cleaner shrimps/skunks are the way to go. Banded coral shrimp will attack fish and more. I personally use cleaner shrimps and they are great tank mates.

 

[rhdoug]

I have a fairly old scopas tang who lost most of his dorsal fin due to continually begging a coral banded shrimp to clean him. He never did.