Shrimp - a poll...

[McReef1]

What kind of shrimp are you keeping in your reef and what are the benefits/consequences of each type?

Thanks!

McReef

 

[Anonymous]

I have one peppermint shrimp, and will be adding another. But there are two easily confused kinds- mine is the kind that hangs upside-down and sways back and forth. IMO, the good kind, because it will not eat polyps, like the one that stands upright. It eats baby aiptasias, and I understand they breed a lot, so I'm getting one more.

 

[Yellowboy]

I've had two kinds of shrimp, skunk cleaners and coral banded. Benefits of cleaners was they released eggs every two weeks that everything else in the tank loved to eat, they had the coolest personalities EVER(they would even clean under my finger nails for me), and they would eat excess food and just be cool. Can't think of a downside for them. The coral bandit looks very cool and is a great scavenger but he also likes to eat things while they sleep. If its not very well fed stuff will disapear. Umm those are the only two types of shrimp ive ever had.

 

[esmithiii]

1 skunk cleaner
1 peppermint

 

[Joey1]

Man,I have a cleaner that I have had for some time,very cool personality,tries to clean everything in the tank,(yes,even hands and new corals).The thing is,I added a peppermint the other night,and checked on him after the lights went out...the next day,gone,haven't seen him since....depressing....Joey

 

[HARRISON]

I have a coral banded shrimp in my 80 gallon reef. I don't think I would add one again. He is cool to watch but he hides in a cave most of the time and i am pretty sure he snacked on my neon goby. That was a 20 dollar snack. That did however bring up his "net value" to around 30 some bucks though...

If I get a chance to catch him, he goes.

 

[freedom75]

I have 2 peppermint shrimp and a pistol shrimp. pep's have cleaned all my aptsia away they did a great job. Pistol has dug everything up and moved it. as soon as I can catch him he is going in his own tank. funny but a pain in the butt.

John Wray
come visit my web page please.

 

[VkeSu]

I have cleaners, not shy, comes out when food is dropped in tank. Clean the fish of parasites (if fish let them!). I enjoy watching them hang upside down under the rock ledges.

 

[IBJJ]

2 Skunk cleaners, 2 Blood Shrimp, and a golden coral banded. The skunks are really cool personality wise. The Bloods are just really cool looking. The golden because it looks different that a normal coral banded. No problems with any of them. Peppermints are ok but sometimes reclusive.

 

[icepick]

I have a peppermint. I got him to control aptasia,which it did an excellent job. Downside, it nocturnal. I do see him when I feed the tank. Also I've noticed a small decline in my pod population. Now that my refuge is plumbed it should be on the rise. Overall I'm happy with the purchase.

 

[tendar]

I had a pair of cleaners in my reef for a while till I tried a long nose butterfly that decided he didnt like cleaners or should I say he liked the taste of cleaners. Anyway the cleaners are good for several things. One they clean youre fish and if you get more than one they bread constantly thus feeding feeding corals and fish.

 

[GMH320]

I have 3 cleaner shrimp, 3 fire, and 1 peppermint. Like all shrimp, they are scavengers and clean up any bits of leftover food. They are however, a real pain in the a** when it comes to feeding corals. You need to stand guard or they will steal the food from the coral. I had a cleaner shrimp pull a piece of clam right out of an open brain AFTER the brain had completely consumed it! There is that potential to harm a coral when it is trying to get at the food...something to be aware of.

 

[Kitta]

I have the same problem as Greg has, and I only have 2 shrimps, a cleaner and a blood shrimp. The cleaner shrimp is the worst of the two. Sometimes I have to stand by the tank for 1/2 an hour because some corals take that long to completely consume the food.

 

[fishman11]

I have 1 CB shrimp in my 20. He is not only a great scavenger, he will actually swim around and compete with the fish for food at feeding time. The down side is he also has a taste for worms and pods. He never stops eating and molts every 4 weeks like clockwork. Not good for DSB's but I think CBS is great otherwise.

 

[thardin]

Have a peppermint in my wife's nano to control an aiptasia problem I "HAD". No problem any more and have noticed no "downside" to owning one. Nocturnal, but fun to watch hanginh upside down in caves during the day.

 

[Lynn]

I have a cleaner shrimp and really like him. He is constantly cleaning the aquarium and likes hanging upside down. He's not at all shy and is very active all day long. He loves to clean hands and will also eat out of my hand. I just feed him before I feed the corals. I'm going to get another one soon.

 

[NaCl-H2O]

The 125g has a blood and cleaner and the 72g a cleaner and CBS.

 

[slojmn1]

I HAD 2 fire shrimp, 2 cleaners, and 2 peppermints. Now down to one lone cleaner. I suspect possibly my serpent stars as the culprits. The shrimp disappeared over the past 8 months, since adding the stars. Seems this one cleaner is haging on without any trouble. He is out and about all the time. He is not to aggressive with the corals regarding ripping food away from them, but he gets plenty himself so maybe that helps. I sure miss my fire shrimp. That was an expensive snack for my stars.