Shrimps

[infalable]

Can anyone please give me your opinion on the best shrimp for a reef tank w/ soft corals. Cleaners seem to be a favorite, but is there any species that are more benificial. There will be only a few smallerfish such as a lawnmower blennie that I hope to add soon and maybe a few other smaller species. I also would like to have more than 1. Thanks.

 

[adrian]

The scarlet cleaners are really cool as you mentioned, as are the fire shrimp. Peppermint shrimps are not very attractive, and mostly nocturnal, but can be very benificial for aptasia control. Avoid coral banded shrimps HTH

 

[foulbrew]

I like peppermints, especially if you'll be adding corals and rock from other systems. They are an excellent safety net in case you happen to get alittle aiptasia as a bonus. They are naturally nocturnal, but mine come out at feeding time as well.

 

[infalable]

Thanks for your ideas. Would anyone be opposed to having both species in a 46 gal tank?

 

[timsedwards]

I think you should be ok with both if you add at same time and they are not roughly same size.
Yes Peppermints are nocturnal but come out now and again, a great insurance for aiptasia. Cleaners are great to watch, they jump onto my hand and clean my hand

 

[newbe reefer]

I think Sexy Shrimp are really fun to have, don't know how benificial they are but are super fun to watch. They are not nocturnal, always out swaying their tails around. They do like to be in pairs or groups. I have two of them.
Hear's a pic of one of them. They can be kept with other shrimps.
NewBe

 

[infalable]

Great pic Newbe. thanks. I will definitly look into one of those.

 

[grouperhead]

I'm a pistol shrimp man, but most folks don't want them messing with their dsb. Bo

 

[leviwin]

Sorry to jump in, but where can you get sexy shrimp. I got one as a hitchhiker and would like to find a friend for him.

 

[serpentine5]

Never heard of a Sexy Shrimp. I have just at 14 peppermint shrimp and 4 skunk cleaners and well as a blood red fire shrimp. All of them get along fine, The hierarchy seems to be the Fire shrimp is at the top, them the skunks, then come the peppermint in a dead last. My Peppermint shrimp are out during the day all day. I did not know that they were supposed to be nocturnal.
In addition, I am waiting on delivery of a pistol shrimp, and am on a waiting list to get an Orange Spotted Goby. Hopefully these two when introduced will become friends and team up like I have heard the do.

 

[eng50]

Please do your research before you go buy the "Sexy Shrimp"!!!!!
There are Harlequin Shrimp, which feed ONLY on starfish, not a good choice unless you are willing to sacrifice starfish as food, and there are "sexy shrimp" which reportedly eat anything, I do not have a lot of information on them, and seriously wonder if they are really a very different species. I have seen pet stores that sell Harlequins under the name "Sexy Shrimp" Do a search on here and you will find much information on them...
Just want you to know what you are getting into, and make sure you get what you want..
HTH
Bill

 

[bhav_88]

NOTE: "Sexy Shrimp" are also commonly called "Brokenback Shrimp". You may find more info using Brokenback, I don't know.

 

[ozadars]

I love all the shrimps, because they are very attractive, arent they? i ve marine ghost shrimps and a harlequin shrimp also for my new tank i want to put, harlequin, marine ghost shrimp, cleaner, fire and pistol shrimps, i would love to put a sexy shrimp to my tank too but i vent seen them in Turkey, also sexy shrimps lives in anemones as i know, so maybe in a big anemone, a sexy shrimp pair with a anemone crab and skunk clown pairs can be excellent, i will so that but w/o shrimp
PS: I think harleys have the best colour, 2. sexy shrimp

 

[elan]

i have 5 cleaners, 10 peppermints and a CBS... i like them all as each have their own personality.. CBS and peppermints are more nocturnal in my tank, but the peppermints do make a day showing now and then....especially at dinnertime.... the CBS is absent in the day, but i can see him though the rocks due to his very long tentacles i dont see him eat anything though... he is a recent addition and molted after about a week....so i hope he is doing fine...
i spot feed the shirmps (pepper and cleaners) with frozen shrimp (kinda creepy ) about once a week... but they do get a share during regular feeding.(frozen mysis and flake)... i am still trying to figure out the CBS.. i hear they are algae eaters, so i may have to go get something special for him...

 

[infalable]

i love those harleys, but I thinks i will stay with peppermints and cleaners.

 

[leviwin]

My sexy shrimp just lives in my star polyps and eats the extra food that I feed my other fish and shrimps. Don't know why you guys are making them out to be so bad. ozadars is right they do live in an anemone when given the chance. Mine did until my anemone died from being too old. The sexy shrimp came as a hitchhiker with the star polyps. It does not eat starfish!!!! I also have a starfish and it has remained untouched. Thanks for the info though. I did a search on brokenback shrimp and they turned out to be something else. If anybody else has any info I would greatly apreaciate it. I would realy like to know where I can get another one. He sure is great to watch.

 

[leboeuf]

I haven't had anything bad to say about my CBS. He is big and in charge. Gets along with the peppermints and cleaners just fine.

 

[serpentine5]

Originally posted by Leviwin
............until my anemone died from being too old.
And just how old was this anemone?I just have a problem comprehending how an anemone could have died from old age in a tank.

 

[leviwin]

I don't know if it was really old age that made him die, but all the water measurement were normal, which means zero for nitrate nitrite and amonia. Nothing else in my tank has died before or since. He just ended up dieing after having him a year.

 

[michaeltx]

Levwin
do you realize that they live for ( reportedly) 100's of years in the wild no joking I doubt that it was old age. but just the fact that most anemones die within or shortly after a year..
as far as the shrimpies I cant keep none alive so i quit trying ;-(
Mike