My cleaner shrimp just got cooler!

Cooper32803 · Aug 1, 2012

So my cleaner shrimp has stopped being shy and hiding all the time (finally). Now tonight I just saw him do the neatest thing.. I was feeding some freeze dried mysis that I soaked in vitamin c and garlic (dealing with ich) and he decided to run around the tank using his "whiskers" to fish for some at the top and pull it down. Well when he missed a big piece he really wanted he jumped up to the water line and danced upside down on the water surface until he got it... It was so cute! Like a breakdancing shrimp... Lol I have heard of other people seeing it but it never happened to me.. It brightened up my night and made me smile so I thought I would share the story..

NanoNathan · Aug 1, 2012

i have seen shrimp move to fast for food its crazy!!! i also think its really cool how they run upside down on the water surface. 8)

Cl0ne1 · Aug 1, 2012

I too have seen the inverted jesus walk. On the other hand, I have a blood fire shrimp that does a reverse gravity move. The shelf rock he perches under is about 2-3 inches above the sand and when he wants to walk around on the sand he just turns over and starts walkin around. When he wants to go back, he just flips upside down and starts walkin on the rock...very amusing. What is really cool about the skunk cleaners is that they are so social that they will come out off their perch to clean your fingers while you are working on the tank.

Tank you for your time,

Kevin

Cooper32803 · Aug 1, 2012

Yup that happens all too often now when I go to do something in the tank... It was a little weird at first but now I'm used to it... He has actually done that since I first got him and he was hiding all the time... He must be really OCD... Lol

revsgirl · Aug 1, 2012

Haha! Nice!! Nothing like reef entertainment!! :bigsmile:

revhtree · Aug 1, 2012

We need to get us some more of these shrimp.

Cooper32803 · Aug 1, 2012

Can you have more than one in the same tank? I was thinking about getting another one since my guy is easily the most active critter I have.. So much personality...

steamer51 · Aug 1, 2012

I was recently given a very large one by a friend breaking down his tank and it is not shy at all. Out all over the tank as soon as I acclimated and never seen hiding. I was at my favorite LFS and thought about getting another one to see if they would pair up. The owner told me they pair easily since they are hermaphroditic but he said since mine is so large he may be at the end of his life as they only live a couple of years. I respect that the owner told me this instead of just making a sale and I'll go back and get a young pair in the future from him.

SeahorseKeeper · Aug 1, 2012

Yup, it is awesome to see these guys do this. It makes me wish I could keep them in my tank. My dottyback won't allow me to.

Pappy · Aug 2, 2012

My cleaner is def one of my favorite things in the tank!

Steelerfan747 · Aug 2, 2012

the really can be characters I'm glad he lost his shyness and I'm glad you are enjoying him

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Cl0ne1 · Aug 3, 2012

You know what burns me? I have 4 LFS in my area. One I go to for corals, one I go to for inverts, one I go to for fish and one I go to for dry ingredients. Don't get me started on that arrangement or the fact that 2 of them are 20 minutes away from each other and both of those are 1 hr away from my house and the other 2 are 5 minutes from each other but they are both still 45 minutes away in the opposite direction of the first two. I would like to pause and say....WOW. Anywho, it burns me that I get so many different answers from ALL 4 of them. I try not to let it bother me and then I hear something totally different on this forum.

I did not know skunk cleaners were hermaphrodytic. One of the LFS's I went to told me that if I got 2 males they would kill each other and if I got 2 females they would stay on opposite far sides of the tank. Another LFS told me that you can't have more than one in the tank or the larger would eat the smaller and that is why they have their 10 skunk cleaners in different tanks. Another LFS told me that I could have 2 in the same tank but it isn't garaunteed that I would get a mated pair because they can't sex them....AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH. Why is it so hard to learn about what you are selling? Especially if you have alot of them in your store? I could understand if you don't frequently carry it and you don't know the specifics about it, but 3 different LFS that carry them regularly and I couldn't even get the RIGHT answer.

Tank you for your time,

Kevin

gmoney243 · Aug 3, 2012

My lfs keeps like 5+ of them in a jbj nano 12g they def don't fight

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Kano · Aug 3, 2012

I had a single large cleaner shrimp and after 6+ months I added a significantly smaller cleaner shrimp without any issues. I was worried about the size difference but they got along fine and hung out towards the back of my tank. Mine weren't good cleaners but they did add a little something to the tank. If you want to add another I wouldn't worry too much about aggression. They should be one of the easiest things to catch if for some reason they don't get along.

Connie · Aug 3, 2012

My cleaner catches bristleworms!

bige · Aug 10, 2012

I love cleaners. Mine walks upside down on top of the water but also alerts me to unknown blemishes on my hand. Then cleans them in his sterile environment. I'm gonna get another one for mine to play with. I told the lfs this and they said "well don't expect a soccer game to break out". Kind of a smarty pants answer since I know mine are tougher than soccer and would go right for football.