Aggressive cleaner shrimp?

[muckworm]

ok, I don't know if he's the culperate or not.. but I have a cleaner shrimp and 2 clown fish.. the clowns are still juvenile and haven't established --- yet.. yesterday I notice that one of the clownfish's tail fin was almost gone (not a good sign), so of course, my first instinct was to suspect the other clown... well, later that night I was watching the tank and the injured clown was hanging out near the cleaner shrimp (who is pretty large) when I see him just get hypnotised by the shrimp, turn upside down and then get grabbed by the shrimp... now I wasn't worried at first cause I know that this is what cleaner shrimp do, but then I saw the shrimp try to pull the clown into the rocks while grabbing the fish from the tail fin area (right where his tail is messed up). All of the sudden the fish freaked out and darted off after a minor struggle... now this did not look normal at all and a little violent.. now I'm starting to think that maybe the cleaner shrimp was the one who assaulted my clown... could this be possible?? even after this semi-violent encounter, the clown continued to go up to the shrimp and the shrimp even pulled him in a few more times.... but nothing that I saw resembled a cleaning!

 

[brianf01]

Your clown has issues. It seems to thrive on abuse, possibly from a bad childhood. Counciling may improve the situation.

 

[muckworm]

lol... can you recommend any good fish for that?

 

[sandy]

I had a sand-sifting star that my pepperment shrimp were dining on. I think the star got a nip or something from a hermit... open wound... and the pepperments were feasing on that. They only ate on that one wounded leg. Had to remove the star... and it still didn't survive.
Maybe this happened to your clown. An open wound (no matter how small) seems to be an invitation to dinner for shrimp. Hope you have a qt.

 

[clarkiiboi]

I'm not saying it is or isnt the shrimps fault, but everytime I attempt to put a shrimp in the tank whether it be a cleaner, a coral banded, etc. I see problems and they go back to the LFS and my rule now is no claws.

 

[tombraider118]

MUCKWORM i'm a 100% sure it's the shrimp... i have two percula clowns and a cleaner shrimp, every night that shrimp goes after them.. very violent.. its wonder that my clowns arn't hurt but i think there to fast .. but these shrimp must not like the clowns we both have the same problem....

 

[sandy]

Hmmmm some gentle, some not I suppose. I have two perc clowns, 1 cleaner shrimp, 3 pepperment shrimp -- never any problems, excepting the one above. Good luck. No claws can't hurt.

 

[fshhub]

cleaner shrimp are just that, cleaners
they as mentioned are very attracted to wounds and parasites, in which the feed and at teh same time benefit the fish by cleaning it, it is possible(i suppose) but i really think doubtful
now, cbs on the other hand, i wouldn't doubt
i would say look for another culprit

 

[muckworm]

I have a feeling that the original culperate is the other clown, because they haven't been hanging out like they used to and the one who is hurt has been hangin by the cleaner a lot, even though I've seen the shrimp do the above described several more times.. very strange... if it is the other clown, will they stop fighting or am I going to have to take one of them back?

 

[ci11337]

Well i have a huge cleaner shrimp in my 55 gallon reef and yesterday at the LFS i saw this awesome blue and gold CB shrimp. For $20 i decided to get it, he was less than half the size of my cleaner. I thought that if anything the CB would someday kill the cleaner. BUT this morning i was watching my 'lil CB hanging upside down in his cave when out of nowhere my cleaner drags him out and slaughters him!!! Earlier this week my cleaner also killed my poor purple feather duster.