Cleaner shrimp

[Llyod276]

My cleaner has only once cleaned a fish and I think it was because the fish(filefish) was new and swam too close. No fish EVER comes up to it for cleaning. My buddy said the shrimp should display for fish to come up to it... but I've never seen this. He will clean my hand if I stick it in there, to clean the rocks and move corals. But wont touch the fish. I'm not that good at keeping fish to think they are parasite free. Granted fee of my fish have died and those that did are the result of disease, clowns and the gill disease cant remember.

Is it jus the shrimp? I mean (s)he is larger than most of my fish, but that's too much common sense. Or is it just lazy...

Ever since the catastrophe and move hes been hiding in a rock pile and only come out of feed on shrimp. And lastly he molts once a month. Is this normal?

 

[Finallysalty80]

My cleaner does pretty much the same. The only fish he really cleans is a coral beauty angel. All the small fish (chromis, clowns, firefish, etc) he tries to clean but they usually swim away from him. Sometimes mine is out and about scavenging and some days he hides. I would say he molts roughly once a month. I'm not an expert, been in the hobby less than a year, but in my limited experience what you describe seems normal behavior to me (comparing your cleaner to mine).

 

[Goaway]

Skunks don't like to be alone. If that's the kind you have. They seem to feel more secure when there is 2 of them. From my experience.

Monthly molt if they are growing

 

[Llyod276]

Hmmm. Mine's pushing 3". Online its days they grow to 2-2.5. Hes roughly the same size as my juvenile sailfin tang. and hes ~4". Full spread of whisker is easy 6inches. Or more from side to side. Let's see if hes out.
Wow looky there. Here I am talking ****. And hes doing his job(?). Until I came along... that's a 3" hawkfish underneath him/her.

 

[Goaway]

He's got his station. Looks good!
Edit: they are more brave as 2. Don't do 3. I have seen plenty at 3 inches. Every 2 months mine propagated. Which meant molting.
These guys can suprise you.

 

[vtecintegra]

Whenever I've seen cleaner shrimp on TV they've been cleaning moray eels and fish like groupers, to include running around in there mouths. I don't think puny fish like clowns and similar size fish are part of its natural interaction. Second, I think macro parasites are a big part of the menu, and macro parasites are few and far between on our aquarium fish with maybe the exception of flukes.

Oh, mine molt every couple of weeks. They're mid size and growing.