Cleaner shrimp sucks!

[CBRFIREMAN]

My cleaner shrimp sucks!

Every time my fish go over to my cleaner shrimp he doesnt even attempt to clean them, is he just too dumb too know that this is what he is supposed to do? The fish will practically lay themselves on top of him and he will do nothing. I may buy another one or maybe a cleaner Goby. I like the idea of having one or more of my inhabitants(goby, shrimp), cleaning parasites and what not off of my fish.

If this shrimp doesnt get his stuff together. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

[CBRFIREMAN]

Just kidding:lol: I couldnt get rid of him Ive had him for about 2 years. He is pretty big and cool to look at I just wish he would clean too.

 

[Damsel13]

Maybe he is getting too many free lunches.

 

[burning2nd]

no ticket no laundry

 

[Cwazy Clown]

this is random but my yellow tang wants my baby clowns to clean it. ...the tang will come over to the clowns and get right inbetween them and stay there.

 

[Damsel13]

LOL that's funny. My blue-green chromis clean my yellow Tang. Or I should say one of the chromis does. They are like best buddies.

 

[Minus The Ich]

Sometimes when cleaner shrimp are used to eating fish food they stop actualy cleaning fish. Alot of times this happens after they have been around for a while. I would try another one, at the very least he will scavenge and help clean up the rest of your tank.

I would becareful with the cleaner goby though. I have never owned one but have read that unless there is a sufficient population of fish they eventually starve to death. And even with a large population of fish when they are healthy there is not too much food for them.

dennis

 

[TWallace]

I would becareful with the cleaner goby though. I have never owned one but have read that unless there is a sufficient population of fish they eventually starve to death. And even with a large population of fish when they are healthy there is not too much food for them.

dennis

Are you sure you're not thinking of the cleaner wrasse?

 

[Minus The Ich]

Good point, I was thinking of a cleaner wrasse. Forget what I said about the goby.

dennis

 

[redrooster]

My cleaner shrimp only cleans my large goby the other 8 fish he stays away from. Well at least he did, he died about 2 weeks ago while the tank was being babysat for 10 days while I moved. I introduced some peppermints last week and the goby ran over to them expecting a cleaning and was very dissappointed. The peppermints thought they were going to get eaten, but all the goby wanted was his weekly dental work.

 

[TWallace]

I've had 2 cleaner shrimp for almost a year now. They hardly ever clean fish. About once a month, my bartlett's anthias will get cleaned. I think I've only seen them clean my flame angel once, and I've that fish for about a year now, too.

 

[SueT]

I thought mine was the only lazy cleaner shrimp out there. I now have one that will clean my copperband which seems to just love being cleaned. It will climb all over that fish. My other fish like to hang out in the area but don't care to be cleaned near as much as copperband.

 

[Damsel13]

I have had my cleaner shrimp for 8 months now and at first all the fish would practically wait in line to be cleaned and she would oblige(sp.) them. Now she much prefers fish food. I would like to get another one. A male.

 

[RocketScientist]

I would like to get another one. A male.

Just a FYI these guys are hermaphrodatic. So don't run around looking to hard for a "male" Typically from my observations of my two Cleaners they molt a couple of days apart. From what I've read it's once they molt and their exoskeletons are soft that the second shrimp will fertilize the other. It's quite interesting to watch as their tails get thicker and darken up (greenish coloration) with the growing young. I highly recommend it.

Regarding them being lazy, well mine have been lazy since I got them. I've given up on them cleaning and wound up buying a cleaner wrasse. Now I'd warn you on them make sure that they have been in the LFS for a while and are confirmed to be eating foods along with parasites! I've heard that it's about 30% that they adapt to a captive diets. In nature they purely survive on eating parasites and some do not adapt well to captive diets. Otherwise the one I got was ($9.99) and overall a very active fish and very diligent at keeping everyone clean. Though I have to say that his personality is like the annoying brother who always butts into fishy interactions and that every once in a while you just HAVE to chase him around the tank to keep his annoying antics reined in! Quite funny.

Good luck!
Brian.

 

[Damsel13]

LOL Thanks RocketScientist. So my single cleaner shrimp just decided to have green eggs but if they are actually going to hatch you need two? Then the eggs will turn a darker green?

So many interesting things to learn.

 

[RocketScientist]

Yup, kind of like my silly tuxedo urchins they keep dispersing eggs but I don't have a silly male to spread sperm around to fertalize them. So right now since you don't have two shrimps your one is making eggs but nothing is coming from it. It's really cool too as you can see the tail grow larger and larger as the eggs develop. But the color change that I'm talking about is that the tail which has a normally yellow under belly will progressively darkens. The color of the tail still remains yellowish but it is partially translucent and the eggs as they grow progressively darken the area with greenish hews. Hopefully that makes sense. But overall you'll need at least two to get the eggs to be fertalized.

Brian.

 

[Bainic]

Mmmmm, butter and garlic!

 

[Damsel13]

Ok! I can do that. I need another cleaner skun shrimp that has the same markngs. Yes??

 

[CBRFIREMAN]

Awsome responses and I think that I will have to find a cleaner wrasse at my LFS, and my two cleaners used to get pregnant all the time before one dissapeared/died:?: It was fun to watch the eggs in their belly's grow but it would be even neater to see them hatch and live without being eaten/killed.

 

[RocketScientist]

Ok! I can do that. I need another cleaner skun shrimp that has the same markngs. Yes??

You got it! Just look for similar markings and you should be good. I can't remember if there is a look alike or not but if you look for similar markings that should negate that though you could just buy two of the same type and have three total!

It was fun to watch the eggs in their belly's grow but it would be even neater to see them hatch and live without being eaten/killed.

I've periodically been peeping in on the tank after all of the house lights have been off for a couple of hours and every once and awhile I get to see a swarm of baby shrimps running in the current. It's very cool! Unfortuantely either they all die of predation, ie all the corals and other critters, or not enough food of the right size. Again this last one could be because of competition with the corals for the same size of foods. Also these critters' survival curves has quite a steep slope during the beginning of life so perhaps genetics, predation or available food sources are playing a role in their demise. perhaps eventually I have some time and other moneys to invest into trying to get some grown into adults.