Cleaner shrimp

[Carol]

Has anybody added a cleaner shrimp to an established tank and had them eaten? How do the fish know it is a benificial shrimp and not lunch? (I'm talking about the shrimp that grooms fish of parasites, etc, I'm not exactly sure that is the name of the shrimp)

[z28pwr]

There are a few cleaner shrimps such as the Skarlet Cleaner Shrimp, The Blood Red Fire Cleaner Shrimp etc.

There are some fish that will eat these shrimps no matter what such as the Flame Hawk and other Hawk fish, Lunar Wrasse and other Wrasse fish.

Make sure the tank that you are putting the cleaner shrimp in does not contain any fish that will harm it before placing it then place the shrimp over a rock where he can go for shelter.

[captexas]

As Z stated, many fish and other inverts will eat shrimp. They are a delicacy to others besides us humans :D You have to be careful and know about the eating habits/potential of your current livestock before adding anything new, whether it be new animals or corals.

Also, sometimes you may think a shrimp is dead as it is dissappeared or you see what looks like it's skin floating around the tank. Shrimp can be very good at hiding and they can also shed their exoskeleton (shell). Depending on the water parameters and nutrients, they can molt frequently and will tend to hide for awhile after they do as they are most vulnerable during this time.

Hope that helps :D

[Tim Marvin]

There are a lot of things that will kill cleaners. Pistols, mantis, coral banded, all kinds of fish, and some corals. If you give us a list of the tank inhabitants we can probably pick out the most likely culprit. Yes there are always exceptions. I have coral banded and cleaners in the same tank, but I have kept them in other tanks and the darn coral banded went after anything put in the tank.

[Carol]

I have an adult yellow tang, two yellow tailed blue damsels, two yellow damsels, one 4 striped black/white damsel, one psuedochromis. I haven't gotten the shrimp yet, I wanted to make sure he wouldn't get to be lunch before I got him. All the damsels are small, max 1.25 inches, I'm just afraid they will nip him to death. I also have a button polp, mushrooms, and green star polyp.

[Tim Marvin]

If you don't hear any snapping or clicking at night you should be fine with the animals you have right now.
No tusk, lions, or agressive fish though. These fish can be kept in a reef, but not with shrimp.