What are your thoughts on Cleaner Shrimp?

[Dw79]

Thinking about adding a Cleaner Shrimp to my reef and have read different opinnions. From what I have read, some people love them and others find them a pest to their corals. Are they good to have, or is it hit and miss weather they pester your coral and steal their food? What is everyones thoughts?

 

[Albertan22]

I enjoy having inverts in my system like hermit crabs and cleaner shrimp. To me a reef is more than just coral, it’s a whole ecosystem. To others it’s all about growing the coral. Yeah maybe the inverts cause a coral to close up once in awhile, but it’s natural and provides some interest to the tank.

 

[GardenReef]

We tried peppermint (did awesome on the aptasia) and cleaner and both types ripped the acans and other corals apart for food Tried feeding them before the corals and they still went back picking on them. Just our experience and Ymmv. They are super cool and we miss watching them move about. And the spawning events were awesome but cannot trust them again

 

[User1]

As @Albertan22 pointed out they are part of the overall ecosystem. That is a good point. Great point actually. My thought though is that it would depend on what type of corals you are keeping. For me they are opportunistic feeders which means they will steal food from corals with mouths. Example when I had cleaner shrimp and an elegance coral come feeding time the cleaner shrimp would pull food right out of its mouth. Duncan coral or others - food in and they are on the coral picking away.

I do not keep them for this reason. I do think they are a great asset to the overall tanks health as it relates to left over food. Since I keep a few LPS corals that I also feed I no longer keep the shrimp. I've also had this issue with peppermints.

 

[Dw79]

As @Albertan22 pointed out they are part of the overall ecosystem. That is a good point. Great point actually. My thought though is that it would depend on what type of corals you are keeping. For me they are opportunistic feeders which means they will steal food from corals with mouths. Example when I had cleaner shrimp and an elegance coral come feeding time the cleaner shrimp would pull food right out of its mouth. Duncan coral or others - food in and they are on the coral picking away.

I do not keep them for this reason. I do think they are a great asset to the overall tanks health as it relates to left over food. Since I keep a few LPS corals that I also feed I no longer keep the shrimp. I've also had this issue with peppermints.

Some great points made in the above posts. I have Acans, Duncans, Hammer, Torch and a couple of Blastos that get fed. Can they cause damage to them, or are the just more of a nuisance?

 

[muzikalmatt]

To answer your question, they can straight up kill/eat/destroy coral and inverts. Given the research I've done, I don't think it's that common, but I've experienced it first hand.

I really enjoyed my cleaner shrimp...at first. They are a beautiful addition to any reef tank, especially when their antennae get longer, and they are great at cleaning up excess food. However, mine has been a terror to my corals and feather dusters for months now. He's completely eaten the head off of a large Hawaiian feather duster that I've had for over a year, and he's currently been attacking my coco worm and duncan coral. In the past he's also eaten parts of my stylophora, so it's definitely not just LPS that he goes after.

And this is not speculation either. I have 100% witnessed him eating these first hand. Some people will say: "Oh, hes was just eating dead tissue or algae off the coral" or "You're not feeding him enough". No. I've seen him cutting polyps off of my stylo and eating them. I've seen him devour my feather duster. Just an hour ago I watched him trying to get at my coco worm deep in his cocoon even after the worm had retracted. I've tried spot-feeding him, over-feeding the tank, etc and he still goes after them. As soon as my QT tank is cycled I'll be removing him to give to another local reefer and in the future I'm not sure I'll ever have them in my tank again. Perhaps a much larger tank, but realistically that would just make him harder to catch.

I'm all about having a full ecosystem in my tank, and I can certainly take the good with the bad. I've dealt with my pistol shrimp burying corals, my pincushion urchin moving corals, my bicolor blenny camping out on my zoas keeping them closed, but when it comes to an inhabitant straight up eating my corals, I draw the line. Not nipping. Not irritating. Consuming them. To the point where if I don't intervene they will not survive. I'm pretty sure my feather duster won't be growing back, but I'm giving it a chance and hoping for the best as it was one of my favorite tank inhabitants.

Again, I don't want to scare you as I don't think this is that common, but don't believe for one second that cleaner shrimp are 100% reef safe, as I can tell you from experience they are not.

 

[User1]

Some great points made in the above posts. I have Acans, Duncans, Hammer, Torch and a couple of Blastos that get fed. Can they cause damage to them, or are the just more of a nuisance?

Nuisance for sure, yes. If I take the Elegance coral as an example I would feed it small chunks of shrimp and/or silver sides. Nothing really large but enough for it to wrap its larger polyps around. The cleaner shrimp would move on over and climb on it with its little arms poking and prodding stealing pieces of it. In some cases it would be able to wrest away a full piece. It was interesting to watch because they wouldn't dive in immediately. Instead they would hang out on the rock above it and then flip over to get. Maybe they knew the coral would grab it or tentacles are sticky?

Also would see Nassarius do similar. So much that I would toss in a rock with a silver side rubber banded to it to keep them away. So back to the question can it cause damage? I really can't say other than they did get their arms / legs in there to poke and prod stealing the food. The Elegance was fine - they didn't kill it so maybe just a nuisance.

But I no longer keep them because of it.

 

[FlexingFishSticks]

I love cleaner shrimp! They’re very entertaining and look very nice and vibrant under the light. They do pick up uneaten food on the sand bed and provide cleanings to fish that are accepting of it. BUT mannnnnnn are they a pain at times! I have 2 right now and the larger one will not stop picking at my candy cane coral! There’s nothing for him to eat there and he makes it a daily routine to go pick pieces off of it. I feed 3 times a day and I spot feed those guys like they were the king of the castle and yet they still go harass my corals.....however despite all of this there are good days sometimes weeks where they behave and I enjoy their presence but when they pick at the coral it really irritates me I have a little acclimation box at the top of my tank and sometimes I’ll catch them and put them in there so they can think about what they did and it gives me a little hope that maybe one day they will get the message

 

[muzikalmatt]

I love cleaner shrimp! They’re very entertaining and look very nice and vibrant under the light. They do pick up uneaten food on the sand bed and provide cleanings to fish that are accepting of it. BUT mannnnnnn are they a pain at times! I have 2 right now and the larger one will not stop picking at my candy cane coral! There’s nothing for him to eat there and he makes it a daily routine to go pick pieces off of it. I feed 3 times a day and I spot feed those guys like they were the king of the castle and yet they still go harass my corals.....however despite all of this there are good days sometimes weeks where they behave and I enjoy their presence but when they pick at the coral it really irritates me I have a little acclimation box at the top of my tank and sometimes I’ll catch them and put them in there so they can think about what they did and it gives me a little hope that maybe one day they will get the message

Haha! Oh man, I love that you put yours in "timeout" in the acclimation box. Wish I'd have thought of that!

 

[...]

What about Coral Banded Shrimps? They have cool antennae and their body looks far cooler than cleaner shrimp, Cleaner shrimp do clean your fish but not of parasites, CBS don't do it at all and they can be a semi-aggressive to your fish bu not hurt then or your corals.

 

[vetteguy53081]

have one in my big tank. Chases food as it falls and fairly socialable

 

[FlexingFishSticks]

Haha! Oh man, I love that you put yours in "timeout" in the acclimation box. Wish I'd have thought of that!

My girlfriend thinks I’m crazy but she just doesn’t understand lol.

 

[muzikalmatt]

My girlfriend thinks I’m crazy but she just doesn’t understand lol.

They never do.

 

[FlexingFishSticks]

They never do.

Me and my blue spotted Jawfish everyday

 

[madweazl]

Wouldnt have a tank without them. As for stealing food, the vast majority of the corals we keep don't need to be fed so that solves that problem by itself (unless you must keep a variety that requires feeding).

 

[Dw79]

I love cleaner shrimp! They’re very entertaining and look very nice and vibrant under the light. They do pick up uneaten food on the sand bed and provide cleanings to fish that are accepting of it. BUT mannnnnnn are they a pain at times! I have 2 right now and the larger one will not stop picking at my candy cane coral! There’s nothing for him to eat there and he makes it a daily routine to go pick pieces off of it. I feed 3 times a day and I spot feed those guys like they were the king of the castle and yet they still go harass my corals.....however despite all of this there are good days sometimes weeks where they behave and I enjoy their presence but when they pick at the coral it really irritates me I have a little acclimation box at the top of my tank and sometimes I’ll catch them and put them in there so they can think about what they did and it gives me a little hope that maybe one day they will get the message

I love cleaner shrimp! They’re very entertaining and look very nice and vibrant under the light. They do pick up uneaten food on the sand bed and provide cleanings to fish that are accepting of it. BUT mannnnnnn are they a pain at times! I have 2 right now and the larger one will not stop picking at my candy cane coral! There’s nothing for him to eat there and he makes it a daily routine to go pick pieces off of it. I feed 3 times a day and I spot feed those guys like they were the king of the castle and yet they still go harass my corals.....however despite all of this there are good days sometimes weeks where they behave and I enjoy their presence but when they pick at the coral it really irritates me I have a little acclimation box at the top of my tank and sometimes I’ll catch them and put them in there so they can think about what they did and it gives me a little hope that maybe one day they will get the message

I'm going to be laughing about this all night!!!

 

[Dw79]

I'm guessing its better to play it safe and not get one. I have more money invested in coral then the shrimp would be worth.
Thank you all for your replys!!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I'm guessing its better to play it safe and not get one. I have more money invested in coral then the shrimp would be worth.
Thank you all for your replys!!

Thats the best response : ) and food for thought

 

[James_O]

Thinking about adding a Cleaner Shrimp to my reef and have read different opinnions. From what I have read, some people love them and others find them a pest to their corals. Are they good to have, or is it hit and miss weather they pester your coral and steal their food? What is everyones thoughts?

They are super cool… while they last.

Get THE smallest one you can find at your LFS. I made the mistake of getting the biggest one at my LFS, and it died 2 months later.

Sexy or peppermint shrimp are typically hardier and just as pretty.

 

[kingjames_dc5]

Peppermint shrimp control parasites that might otherwise damage coral and prevent good coloration and growth.