How many of you guys are keeping cleaner shrimp?

[KWT]

I want to keep a couple when they come back in stock

 

[RJ Murphy]

I have two in my 150. They stay on the underside of the stealth overflows. They keep the ich off of the tangs.

 

[Bpfor3]

i have two skunks in my 150 reef. My fish come up to them and beg to be cleaned. The shrimp ignore them. Nice to have, but worthless...

 

[McPuff]

I generally have some kind of shrimp in my tank. For the past few years it's been a coral banded shrimp. They definitely do NOT clean anything but they are still cool to watch. I do like the skunk cleaners quite a bit. Very fun to watch and they actually DO clean once in a while.

 

[Paulie069]

I’ve got 2 in my tank and love em, for me I feel they do great job of keeping my seahorses clean, I’ve watched as a seahorse was getting cleaned by a shrimp one was waiting his turn,, like a car wash lol, also if I put finger near one it will jump on and start cleaning my finger and hand and will do so as long as I keep it there
Awesome lil creatures and very cool looking

 

[Amuck07]

Would like to have one but afraid my 6 Line Wrasse would kill it...any experience with 6 Lines and Cleaner shrimp?

 

[Pistol Peet]

I absolutely hate these things they are a nuisance they d i g in my frogspawn and Hammer coral and kill them trying to get food

 

[Pistol Peet]

Would like to have one but afraid my 6 Line Wrasse would kill it...any experience with 6 Lines and Cleaner shrimp?

I think it would be safe with the 6 line I had them in with meloneras wrasse and leopard even haliquen tusk. Never a problem

 

[Dark_Knightt]

How many of you keep cleaner shrimp? Do you just like them as a tank inhabitant, or do you think they serve a purpose in fish health? How highly would you rate their importance to your tank?

Photo: @ChristopherKriens

Well originally I thought it would help clean my tank up because i was having some algae issues. *ALso side tip is that the blood red cleaner shrimps dont acc clean theyre ornamental** It really depends on the specimen you choose. My skunk cleaner shrimp doesnt really clean anything, he will steal food from my corals because they dont sting him, but hes acc great. Soooo much personality. Mines name is Jacques(like the one from Nemo), and hes basically become a household meme. Even if they dont clean i would still recommend getting one because they are incredible and bring sooo much personality, and have awesome colours. But yeah mine doesnt acc do anything lol

 

[Hincapiej4]

Mine will clean me if I put my hand in.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Okay wait that's the other actually really frustrating thing I hate.

I don't really pay TOO much attention when I put my hand in I'm normally looking to where I'm trying to make my hand go not watching where my hand is, and they ALWAYS always get me, and I'll jerk the first time every time lol.

It was cute the first time, but now that it happens everytime, and I ALWAYS react XD it gets old lol. I should just stop reacting though.

I remember I got my cleaner shrimp before my first corals lol. I got a torch and some others on my birthday and I was superrrr scared of gettign stung by the torch so i never put my hand near it. That was before i touched the torch and realized it doesnt hurt at all lol. SO im doing some maintenance and my hand is about 5 inches from the torch and the shrimp climbs onto my hand and starts picking things off and i jumpeddd. But it is fun when they touch you because it kinda lets you interact with your tank on a whole other level.

 

[Amuck07]

I think it would be safe with the 6 line I had them in with meloneras wrasse and leopard even haliquen tusk. Never a problem

what size is your tank?

 

[Pistol Peet]

what size is your tank?

160 gallon never thought that may change with different size or smaller could be areal possibility

 

[stephen wyard]

I have always had two in every tank I have had and it wouldn't seem right without them.

 

[Paulie069]

I remember I got my cleaner shrimp before my first corals lol. I got a torch and some others on my birthday and I was superrrr scared of gettign stung by the torch so i never put my hand near it. That was before i touched the torch and realized it doesnt hurt at all lol. SO im doing some maintenance and my hand is about 5 inches from the torch and the shrimp climbs onto my hand and starts picking things off and i jumpeddd. But it is fun when they touch you because it kinda lets you interact with your tank on a whole other level.

I like letting my shrimp climb on my hand,, I can also scratch my seahorses necks n belly they like it and I’ll have 3-4 of em come up to top of tank if they see me near it,, my boss laughs at me for doing it because he says your not supposed to go ,, choochy coo,, to seahorses. Lol

 

[HockeyRooster]

Love my skunk cleaner shrimp! A must have for me. They do a good job of cleaning of my foxface. The rest of my fish are too little to required their services. They work as a good team with my cleaner wrasse.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Have two in my system and agree with @vetteguy53081 great scavengers. But also steals food from my corals! lol

I evicted all cleaner shrimp from display same day I watched one of them tear the food from my acans mouths damaging the coral then watched it start to pull the insides of the coral out. NEVER AGAIN

 

[minus9]

In the 90's I would always keep them, until I discovered neon gobies and use them instead. Hands down the best cleaners out there and don't steal food from corals. Plus, their personalities are awesome and they'll clean you sometimes when you stick your hand in. If I had a large tank, 200+, I would keep both cleaner shrimp and Elacatinus gobies.

 

[Ferrell]

My wife is so entertained by it she would not ever be without one. He is such a good stealer though. Also, plays a little nip and tuck game with the YE Kole.

 

[Bob Weigant]

I have 1 but I’ve never seen it clean anybody. Maybe that’s a good sign.