Coral Banded Shrimp - SAFE or NOT SAFE

[keonia]

Hi Gang,
I am rethinking about a Coral Banded Shrimp, however after searching on this post it seems as if people either had luck with it or not. Some people said that their CBS was aggressive and actually ate a damsel !!!!!! and a few other posts said that it is peaceful. On Saltwater.com, it said that the temperament is peaceful and reef safe. So does this mean that its probably a personality issues for the people who didnt have any good luck w/their CBS? I just don't want to put him in the tank and have a grand time trying to get him out!!!!!!!!! I plan on getting Gobies and I don't want the CBS eating my Diamond GOby -- who predominantly lives on the bottom.
I have a 29 gallon, clean up crew coming today (yes the CBS is included!!!!! :notsure: ) I have about 40 - 50 lbs of live rock
Does anyone have any opinion to my concern???
is the Coral Banded Shrimp Safe or not?
If anyone Owns a CBS I would appreciate your input!!!!!!!!!!!!/ experience !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nicetry]

A CB would be hard pressed to take out a healthy fish, regardless of size. They are great scavengers. One of the more aggressive shrimps, and will take a swipe at anything that comes too close, but it's more posturing than anything. Mine will chase the other shrimps, but it generally keeps to itself and hangs in one area. Probably more prone to aggression in cramped quarters.

 

[howieumd]

The damsel that ithe CBS "ate" on this other persons tank was probably a damsel that died and the CBS was just eating the dead carcus. That's common to anything in the clean up crew to do. Unless that person actually saw the CBS grab the fish than eat it, I'd pretty much guarantee that it died on it's own and the CBS just cleaned up the carcus so it didn't rot, which is ideally what you want it for.

 

[larrynews]

i have had a cbs for almost a year and the best i can tell, is doesnt bother anything unless they swim right up against him and them he just chases them off...

 

[robchuck]

They are extremely territorial if anything gets to close (the shrimp will take a nasty swipe with it's pinchers), but are otherwise peaceful and go about their business scavengering around the tank.

 

[ophiura]

A poster here, Molamola, had issues with a CBS that both went after any food for other bottom dwellers, went after snails, and could clearly be seeen going after a perfectly healthy gold maroon clown attempting to stay in its anemone. The clown did end up with several nips and the CBS was clearly the aggressor, which I saw with my own eyes. They are known to be rather intollerant of other shrimp at the very least, and, IMO (depending on tank size) can be a threat to several types of critters. I would agree that tank size is an issue (hers was a 30 cube tank), but I would never, ever but a CBS in my tanks...but that is JMO Several people would never but brittle/serpentstars in their tanks which of course I am a big fan of!

 

[molamola]

Yep, I'd have to say that I had the meanest CBS on the planet. Having a 30 cube was not an ideal situation for it, and it owned the entire tank. It had my Royal Gramma and GM Clown running for their lives all day and night, would attack me when I cleaned the tank, took rather large chunks out of the fins of my clown, boxed with my brittle stars as they tried to eat, plucked the bodies out of my Nasserius snails (again before my eyes), and terrorized my entire cleanup crew, thus paving the way for a lovely algae bloom, that has taken four months to get rid of. He was a booger to catch, but I'm glad I did it :yes: He even took to running into the center of my rather large bubble tip anemone in order to grab the krill out of its stomach, which I kept hoping would in turn, swallow him whole, but never happened.
I can see the error of my ways, however. This shrimp was added after my Royal Gramma, and before any of my snails, crabs, and clown, which gave him ample time to become lord of the tank. I still wonder if I had added him last, if I would have had any of those problems, but I'm not willing to try again. Really, my tank was just too small. His antenae spread from one end of the tank to the other, and nothing could swim past without him knowing about it and attacking.
Since the glorious removal and independance day, everything in my tank, including my few polyp frags and such have come out, grown quite a bit, and are free to roam around at their leisure. :cheer:

 

[latino277]

The people that seem to have luck with CBS and the people with larger systems... IMO. I have one in my 125 and he hasn't bothered anything. He even cleans my Salfin tang.... when he feels like it. However, he will chase anything that gets to close!!!

 

[keonia]

After reading all of your VERY helpful postings and called a few friends I decided to try and put himCBS in. I got my shipment in from Saltwaterfish.com and I must say that I was pretty pleased with my order!! However, the porcelain crab was < 1 inch!! i hope he develops the pretty colors -- well I am hoping more-- that he survives!!! Well this is the update on the CBS & yellow tail blue damsel
After Acclimating my order, I placed the CBS into the tank and GUESS WHAT??????????
my Bully damsel attempted to pick on my CBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and just as you all said NICETRY, lARRYNEWS, ROBCHUCK, LATINO277, My CBS nipped at the damsel (not chase) but just to get that damsel out of his/her-- CBS's face!!!!!!!! This blue damsel is a big bully, I have a stripped damsel and this blue damsel also picks on it as well!!!
MOLAMOLA -- (is your name -- named after the sunfish?) sounds like you had some experience with a mean CBS!! and OPIHURA definitely sounded like a space type of issue that the CBS didnt like!!!
Im gonna monitor my experience and post interesting findings for the next couple of days regarding the CBS.
OH also, regarding my order from Saltwater.com I purchased a mushroom polyp and after acclimating it, one I placed it in the tank I saw 2 worms fling to my live rocks -- do you know if my clean up crew should cleam it up before it populates? it looked like a very small white inch worm with vertical lines going down.
ALSO, the LEttuce Nudibranch was an awesome buy --- After acclimating him, I placed it on the ledge of a rock and that sucker took off!! this is my very first experience with a salt water tank and just seeing the small piece of lettuce run on my rock was soooo NEAT !!
OPIHURA - I bought a brittle star -- do they climb out of the tank? I have a filter, protein skimmer, powerhead and my hood wont fit snug!!! also what do you feed your star? My Star went under a rock in hidding after placing it in the tank!!!!!!!!
:joy: You guys are awesome -- thanks for all the wonderful feedback!

 

[ophiura]

Brittlestars will not generally climb out of the water. A normal brittlestar should go into hiding like that, and may not often be seen. They are nocturnal. They can be spot fed simply by seeing food gets to them (watch that they catch it) or food can be handed to them in a variety of ways. If meaty, it can simply be placed on the end of a bamboo skewer, and placed near an arm tip. Some brittlestars will take well to spot feeding, others will not. Just make an effort to see if it is getting regular food.

 

[ctgretzky9]

My cbs is awesome, he does claim a spot of his own, and chases away fish that intrude, but otherwise is very peaceful. When I had ich a while back, he actually took to cleaning my yellow tang. Love watching him at night scavaging.
A note about your nudi....others may post about it, but I have read several posts about it being an unfit creature for a tank...especially a smaller one. Supposedly they die pretty quickly and are hard to feed, and when they die, they can poison your tank.
Do soem research on that, or post a new thread asking opinions.
Your brittle star will be fine, i love both of the ones i have. They are my fav starfish! Mine actually cruise the tank during feeding a bit, though they are kinda trained as i do spot feed occasionally, so they know it's coming! Here is a pic of one of them in it's fav home

 

[ophiura]

:cheer:

 

[puffer32]

keonia, keep us informed on your CBS. I got one for my tank with my cleanup crew also, after my tank was cycled a month. Afew weeks later, I put in afew chromis. They looked great and ate right away, acclaimated them by the book etc, lost all 3 but only 1 a night. A week later added afew more chromis, lost one first night (always disappear at night when lights are out) other 2 were ok so a week later added a small goby, 2 baby clowns, and a med sized coral beauty. Lost the goby first night, and a clown then next. Then this morning i saw my coral beauty has a hunk out of her tail. I belive the CBS is the only thing in my 75 gal tank big enough to do this I am down to 1 clown and 2 chromis but none have disapeared in 2 days. And my CBS came out to eat today, first time in 2 days (could she be hungry because she hasn't had a fish to eat in 2 days? I do not know. I want to give her the benifit of the doubt, and do not want to tear up all my rocks to catch her. Maybe she did only eat these missing fish after they died, this I do not know. I will not get anymore small fish, and hope the 3 little guys i have don't disappear like their tank mates. I would like to hear if weird disappearances happen in your tank, i hope not, but am curious. Thanks.

 

[keonia]

CTgretzky -- That exactly what my CBS is doing, He found an area of his own and I noticed everytime that Damsel invades his territory, his pinchers are out! And when I was at the LFS, I remember a CBS cleaning another fish!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing your brittle pics! That was an Awesome pic!! !! how do you feed your brittle?
I search this post about the Lettuce Nudibranch and it seems as if the purple Nudibranch is the poisonious type, but will continue to search other resources ! thanks for calling that to my attention!! If anyone else knows about the Lettuce Nudibranch please post!!!

 

[keonia]

I can't find my brittle star - He's probably in hiding!!!!!! or do you think my mandarin (large 2 - 3 inch) or CBS could have chomped on it??
Update on my new fishes including CBS
CBS found a spot and protects his territory (Exactly what others said their CBS do from the replies on this post - thanks guys :cheer: ) his pinchers come out when my blue bully damsel gets too close!
My clean up crew is doing great - they are all over my rocks!!! yippie!! :joy: Can't find my crab (1/2 inch) I hope he's doing allright, my brittle is happily searching my LR (LAST NIGHT), my Lettuce nudibranch is sliming away on my glass (i have to cover the powerhead/skimmer) so he doesnt get in their! My cleaner clam is not in the spot I put him in so he is somewhere else in my tank!!!!
The only problem is that my Mandarin --- He's bigger than what I expected and I have to find him a new home very SOON!!!!!!!!! He doesnt fit between rocks, so in the mean time I will have to adjust the rocks!!!
I added some pictures -- I CANT FIND MY BRITTLE STAR!!!!!! or MY CLAM -- they are probably in hiding because how can you not not find a big clam like that!! -- he may have burried himself! But Im worried now, because I cant find brittle, looked all over not in skimmer, filter, on the floor!!!!!!!!!!
Puffer32 I'll keep updating this

 

[keonia]

Hee hee.. Here's the update!!!!!!!! No one ate the brittle, He was playing hide-n-seek
see the picture????? I didnt honestly think anything would chomp brittle???? -- although the blue bully damsel did attempt to nip at it!!!!!! lol
Puffer 32 How big is your tank> Mola mola stated:
HTML Code:
[pre]Having a 30 cube was not an ideal situation for it, and it owned the entire tank. It
had my Royal Gramma and GM Clown running for their lives all day and night, would attack me
when I cleaned the tank, took rather large chunks out of the fins of my clown,
boxed with my brittle stars as they[/pre]
is this possibly your situation too?

 

[ctgretzky9]

Hey Keonia!
Im glad you found your brittle. They will hide out pretty good from time to time. Dont worry if you dont see him sometimes. No one will usually bother them. My CBS is near him all the time, and they just hang. I dont think the cbs considers it's slow motion movements a threat.
I spot feed my brittle every once in a while by using a 2' grabber device that you can get at lfs. I give them small chunks of rolled seaweed or thawed alge cubes (only a small amount...you dont want them to rely on you as a food source...they must still be made to roam tank and scavage a bit too...dont spoil them!!! lol)
They also like flake when i feed the tank that food.
Your lettuce nudi may be fine. I dont know much about nudis, and was under the assumption that none were good more so for the lack of ability to give them a proper food source than the poisoning of your tank.
Cover your powerheads asap!!! do NOT wait! Many horror stories about fish and especially anemones in powerheads.
Your crab will show up too soon. Again, i dont see my huge emerald crabs sometimes for a few days. I have 4, and just a day or so ago i finally counted all 4. All crabs like to hide in nooks of the rocks.
Good luck! sounds like youre having fun

 

[lamaface]

Well done on your tank man!!! Always makes me happy to hear about other peoples successus with their tanks!!!
Now i also have a Q about the CBD...
Ive got a 5ft reef with lots of SPS, gonia, frogspawn, hammer, lots of brains, plates (1 long tentacled), a crocea clam, 1 cute little 6 line wrasse, an anthias (gonna get 2 or 3 more soon). Maybe gonna add some tangs (regal) and maybe a flame angel. Now if i get me 2 fire shrimp, and a CBD will they be ok together and will any of the inverts/fish irritate my corals and my clam (im a massive clam fan)?
Thanks guys and sorry about "highjacking" the thread...

 

[puffer32]

My tank is a 75, so plenty of room. Thanks for any updates, if I have any more incidents, i will let you know as well, things look ok, no more disappearing fish the last 2 nights.
Lamaface You can keep your CBS with other shrimp just not 2 CBS, unless you have a large tank, which you do.

 

[keonia]

JUST an Update!!!
CBS is a good addition to the tank. Only picks at that bully blue damsel -- but not as much as before. CBS shares the space with my brittle, AND my Diamond Goby (he's right next to CBS sifting the sand) And NO PROBLEMS.
I like my critters!!!!!!!!!