Cleaner Shrimp

[kmc]

What experiences do you all have with Cleaner Shrimp. We have one in our 29n gal biocube. Been in there for over a month. He wants to set up a cleaning program but the fish aren't co-operating. Six Line Wrasse, Cherub Angel and False Perc. Does it take a while for the fish to figure it out or is it one of those things where they may never allow the shrimp to set up shop?

 

[bang guy]

Generally, Cleaner Shrimp can only clean the larger fish.

 

[mrmike]

My experience has been some clean, some don't. The fish have to be large enough to support the weight of the shrimp. Your 29g is small for larger fish. I had a skunk cleaner that cleaned my tangs all the time. If i stuck my hand in the tank he would clean it. He would even take shrimp pellets out of my hand. Eventually he died. I heard cleaners do better in groups. I now have 3 that don't clean at all. They hide all day and only come out at night.

 

[richarl5]

Mine loves to clean, it kind of gets excited whenever my fish swim by.
Unfortunately my clown kind of teases it by hovering in front of the shrimp and then once it's touched, it swims away...lol, kind of funny to watch...

 

[nick76]

I think that the smaller fish feel threatned by the cleaner's size. When my Domino Damsel had ich the Skunk would try to clean him by backing the damsel into a corner of the rock then jumping on him lol. The damsel would swim away pretty quickly trying to shake him off.

 

[wodave]

It is true about the size of the fish. Mine cleans only fish that are about 4" or more. It stays away from anything smaller...

 

[fbm]

I have a baby sailfin that the shrimp clean. And I have seen him do my clown once in his mouth. But when I stick my hand in the tank they attack my arm and hands to clean me.

 

[tinyfish]

I have one large and one small cleaner shrimp. My fish are small and only go to the small shrimp.