cleaner shrimp

[kinkfish]

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have a cleaner shrimp in a 220
gallon with a porky puffer a dogface puffer and 2FT fimbrated eel and he has not become lunch. In fact he was cleaning inside the eels mouth and face and cleaning the niger trigger. Most people on this board would think this not possiable but I found it not so. It is really cool just wanted to share.

 

[stacyt]

How long has the cleaner shrimp been in the tank with them? Also did you add him before the other inhabitants?

 

[gasguzzler]

Usually if you add the shrimp first there might not be a problem. I had two in the tank when my Cali rays went in and so far one is still around. The behaviors of the shrimp and cleaner wrasses that are in there too are a really cool way to appreciate natures "doctors".

 

[kinkfish]

He has been in the tank for 6 months in a refuge that I built on top of the tank. I took it apart an threw him in the main display with the aggresive fish that have been in their for a year and a half

 

[puffygrrl]

I have had two cleaners in my aggrssive tanks since day 1 with no problems. Currently it houses a 8" Lunare Wrasse, 6" Passer Angel, 5" Humu Trigger and a 4" Sharpnose Puffer, but I have had a Niger Trigger and large Snowflake Eeel at one point also. While every other invert, be it snail, crab, starfish or urchin is eaten within a week of addition, I have witnessed the cleaners "doing their thing" on all the fish at one point or another. So cool how they "know"