Cleaner Shrimp .. yes or no

[steamer51]

A friend gave me a scarlet and it has become one of my favorite things in the tank. Never hides, always showing himself off to be fed, swims upside down right at the surface and skims the food before it sinks and the fish can get it. Doesn't bother anything else in the tank and will eat absolutely anything I put in the water including my fingers which actually hurt the last time it grabbed the tip where there was a small cut. Most shrimp will eat copepods as well as any meat or vegetable matter. Like most shrimp they are both male and female so it only takes two to have a guaranteed mated pair but they can no self fertilize. I was going to buy another since I like as much free fish and coral food as possible but my LFS owner told me since mine is a huge adult it may be close to the end of it's lifespan so I will get a pair when he dies.

 

[Trex]

I would get 2, they seem to be out more often when you have 2.

They will provide free food from time to time;

 

[jreece11]

I picked up a pair of skunks and put one in my main display & one in my display refugium.

If you put them both together they'll mate and your corals will love the eggs. :)

 

[deuce]

I have two of them and their great only down side is it's hard to feed coral they tend to steal the food

 

[ReeferAl]

I would always put a chunk of fish or shrimp into the tank for the shrimp when I would feed the corals. It would keep them busy enough, slowly picking at it, that the corals could eat undisturbed.