Cleaner shrimp problems.

75Gallons · #1 09/25/2007, 10:22 PM

Does anyone keep a cleaner shrimp with their sea anemone? I've got a skunk cleaner that keep stealing food from my sea aneomone. He hangs out near the anemone and waits for my maroon to bring it food so he can steal it. He wont bother to get food thats near him he just steals it from the anemone. Hes really starting to tick me off. Any advice short of just getting rid of him? My wife picked him out and shes fond of him. Why I have no idea.

tpdpercula · #2 09/25/2007, 11:36 PM

I have 2 skunk cleaners, 2 fire shrimp and 10 peppermint shrimp in my main display and have no problem what so ever. Just fight them off with a stick (rigid tubing) if they try it again.

CHARLIE AGUILAR · #3 09/26/2007, 05:48 AM

Harpoon! Or try to give it a sm piece of food before the anemone!

macperry · #4 09/26/2007, 10:46 AM

I just posted a similar problem yesterday. My anem finally got tired of having its food stolen, and ate my cleaner shrimp! Check out the pic in this forum named "my poor cleaner shrimp".

mapleredta · #5 09/26/2007, 11:19 AM

what part of georgia are you from? id be more than glad to take it off your hands if your close. im in cochran below warner robins

apayne · #6 09/26/2007, 11:22 AM

I feed my shrimp first, then the nems.

Good luck,
Aaron

timrandlerv10 · #7 09/26/2007, 04:48 PM

I had a very similar problem...one very mothering pair of GSMs, and a medium sized RBTA along with, over time, seven different shrimp (cleaner, scarlet, peppermint).

I now have a very mothering pair of GSMs, one large RBTA and one silghtly smaller clone, and no shrimp.

somehow, it worked out...

the part that doesnt make sense to my wife is:
(clone value $40 doesnt equal dead shrimp value $150)

FishHick · #8 09/26/2007, 05:30 PM

I sold my skunk cleaner because he stole my BTAs food all the time and always picked at it.

Toddrtrex · #9 09/26/2007, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by apayne
I feed my shrimp first, then the nems.

Good luck,
Aaron

I do the exact same thing. Plus my anemones eat so fast that there really isn't a chance for the shrimp to steal anything.

petoonia · #10 09/26/2007, 09:16 PM

I agree, give the shrimp a small piece of food first. I like my cleaner shrimp, but it is a real PITA when it steals food from the corals I just got done target feeding. I have to chase the shrimp away and wait until all the food is gone. Im down to one cleaner shrimp, and im not sure if I will be adding anymore. I think I might get another type that hides out a little more.