Cleaners

[leigh]

Sadly my cleaner shrimp moved on to shrimp heaven this morning. (Not quite sure why, he looked fine and all water params are dandy--I think it's just one of those things--he's been kinda spazy the last couple days so I think perhaps he had a parasite of some sort). Anyhow, while my fish load is low (a 6-line and a purple tang--please don't flame that--it's a rescue project), and I have no signs of ich--my paranoia still leads me to prefer to have some form of cleaner in the tank (especially since I have been nursing the purple tang with hlle back to health). I know cleaner wrasse are out. I already have a fleet of peppermint shrimp (I use them for color and movement in my invert tank and when i got fed up with aptaisia i put half a dozen in my reef as well--no more aptaisia ) I know peppermint shrimp are iffy though in their cleaning habits in captivity. So I'm curious as to opinions--should I stick to just the peppermint shrimp and trust them to do the job, get a cleaner/neon goby (and if so are they better off solo, in pairs, or does it matter?), or get another cleaner shrimp?
Thanks for the input!
-leigh

 

[overanalyzer]

FWIW I had a flock of peppermints and they never acted like cleaners - ate the snot out of my Aiptasia - but never actually cleaned a fish ....

 

[leigh]

Thanks OA--yeah that's what I figured. I've never seen mine actually clean--though I have seen them do that swaying 'i'm ready to clean' motion.
-leigh

 

[bang guy]

I'll assume you mean Skunk or Scarlet Cleaner because Peppermints are also "Cleaner Shrimp".
If it were me I would replace the deceased Skunk Cleaner with a pair of Skunk Cleaners. I feel they do a lot better as a pair.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by leigh
Thanks OA--yeah that's what I figured. I've never seen mine actually clean--though I have seen them do that swaying 'i'm ready to clean' motion.
-leigh
yeah mine woupld sway like crazy and scurry away as soon as a fish came near!

 

[leigh]

Very interesting. And yes--Guy skunks are what I meant. Is the trend towards skunk cleaners over the cleaner goby because they do a better job? because they don't affect bioload? or something else I'm missing?
thanks for the input!
-leigh

 

[birdy]

Bang -what exactly is better about having two?

 

[bang guy]

Leigh - Cleaner (Neon) Gobies are very short lived, about a year or two. There's no problem with having both. They use up about the same bio-load and neither require a lot of space.
Birdy - If you have two they will breed and produce zooplankton with their offspring. They are also more active and live longer in my experience in multiples.

 

[birdy]

Thank you Bang Guy, another question, do you have to know the --- of the cleaners when you buy them, or do they change --- to adapt, I have one right now and would like to get another. I tried to look up info on the net but I couldn't find anything.
Leigh sorry I am not trying to hijack your post.

 

[thomas712]

2 Cleaner shrimp always makes a good additions IMO

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by Birdy
Thank you Bang Guy, another question, do you have to know the --- of the cleaners when you buy them, or do they change --- to adapt.
All Lysmata are hermaphrodites (are both sexes at the same time... always). If you have two or more they will mate.