Cleaner shrimp eating corals

[toadstool_paradise]

So a few months ago got a skunk cleaner shrimp. I love watching it clean the fish however recently it’s grown huge and seemed to have developed a taste for corals. It’s been picking ferociously on my frozen apple zoas, corky finger gorgonian and my neon green sinularia.
I’m pretty torn because I feed the shrimp every day but it still does this. I feel like I have to choose between my corals and shrimp and it sucks. Anyone else have this issue? My family and I love this little guy but probably love corals more.

 

[lapin]

Question
Is it eating the corals or picking something off of them? old food perhaps?

 

[toadstool_paradise]

Question
Is it eating the corals or picking something off of them? old food perhaps?

Yeah I watched him and he’s actually ripping polyps up and eating them lol. Everything is retracted and damaged from the picking.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

That shrimp has to go! Fortunately they are usually reef safe so I'd just pick up another one

 

[toadstool_paradise]

That shrimp has to go! Fortunately they are usually reef safe so I'd just pick up another one

Yeah that’s why I thought it was bizarre! I though at first he was just scavenging but it was my day off so I watched and he’s actually ripping them up.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Well at least cleaner shrimp are the easiest creatures ever to catch. They will literally climb into your hand!

 

[toadstool_paradise]

Well at least cleaner shrimp are the easiest creatures ever to catch. They will literally climb into your hand!

True. Just sad because I like him a lot!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thats crazy. It is typical for them to steal or pick food off coral but if you are correct- Its time to trade/sell it and replace with maybe a coral banded shrimp