How to feed Cleaner Shrimps?

[neutronics]

Hi,
I was wondering...what does cleaner shrimps eat? Is there any special way to feed them?
By the way, do they need special minerals like calcium, iodine, etc??
Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[hermit enthusiast]

From my experience on this board I have found out that they are scavenger's and they are also cleaners. They will find a spot on the live rock and set up a little station.

 

[jimi]

They will scavange but I still feed mine once a week directly. I

[hr]
a little piece of prime reef chopped seafood on a wooden skewer and give it to them, they pull it right off and chow down.

 

[frenchman]

It seems that it is very important to have live rocks for cleaner shrimps. They are scavengers and as such will feed on anything you will give them as well as stuff on the rocks.

 

[oceanblue]

heh, I can't stop mine from feeding, I usually spurt some food in towards the top of the tank to let the fish run up and get some, but most of the time the cleaner will jet out to the wall and struggle all the way up to the top and likes to hang on the end of the turkey baster and pull his own chunks out...I hand feed as well, in which case he runs out and crawls all over me taking his share regardless of what the fish think!

 

[oceanblue]

oh...and he eats any ole thing that goes in there...kinda like "Mikey" hehe.

 

[nm reef]

I don't have cleaners but my 2 peppermint love to grab anything fresh offered to my corals.......'bout once a week I feed several of mine fresh shrimp or scallop........before I feed the corals I insure each shrimp is busy with their own chunk(or they will rob the corals of their treat).......rest of the time they scavenge and eat the regular foods...........mine also will crawl right up on my hand for anything they can get...........

 

[mr. tang]

I'm with Ocean Blue, My cleaner is the most aggressive eater in the tank. He just whips his little tenticles or whatever you call them around and collects all the food around him.