Cleaner Shrimp

[jsfakianos]

I have a question(s) about an upcoming purchase.

I would like to purchase cleaner shrimp. First, are the shrimp hermaphroditic? I think it would be better to have 2 if they would produce larvae for food. Is it necessary to worry about getting a male and female?

Second, I would like to have them in case ich makes it into my tank. However, I read somewhere that they also eat those pest anemones. Is this true? If so, are aptasia pictured by the sixth post (by ADRON420) on this thread;

http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=17388


My main purpose would be for the cleaner shrimp to eat those things if they are potentially harmful to the corals. They are spreading quick in my tank after I purchased a red fern.

Lastly, I think the scarlet cleaner shrimp are prettier. Is there a good reason to purchase the pacific shrimp over the scarlet shrimp? Both are cleaner shrimp aren't they?


Thanks,


Jeff

[rshimek]

Originally posted by jsfakianos

Hi Jeff,

First, are the shrimp hermaphroditic?

Scarlet cleaners are, banded coral shrimp are not.

Is it necessary to worry about getting a male and female?

Not with scarlet cleaners (but you still need 2 of 'em), yes, with the banded coral shrimp.

I read somewhere that they also eat those pest anemones. Is this true?

No true cleaners will eat Aiptasia; sometimes one of the relatives of cleaner shrimp, the so-called peppermint shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni, will eat them. It has been mistakenly called a cleaner shrimp, but it is not one.

If so, are aptasia pictured by the sixth post (by ADRON420) on this thread;

I didn't see any there.

Lastly, I think the scarlet cleaner shrimp are prettier. Is there a good reason to purchase the pacific shrimp over the scarlet shrimp? Both are cleaner shrimp aren't they?

I am not sure what you are asking here. There are two shrimp species referred to as scarlet cleaners. They are almost identical in coloration. Lysmata grabhami comes from the Caribbean. Lysmata ambionensis comes from the Pacific. Both are cleaners and neither will eat many polyps.




Thanks,


Jeff
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