I just picked up one of these guys today and he was moving all around and then just sat in the back open corner of my tank for a while... Went to work and came back and it's still sitting in the same corner but it molted! The shell is sitting beside him... Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Also should I remove that shell or will something eat it? Just nervous don't want the little bugger to die... So if anyone knows if that's a good sign or not please let me know thanks
Skarlet cleaner shrimp molting
- Thread starter master NooB
- Start date
+1 both cleaner shrimps that I have molted within a week of being introduced to my system, as well as my emerald crab. Same goes for FW shrimps that I keep...always a little nerve racking to add a colony of 2 dozen dwarf shrimp and see about a dozen "carcasses" in the tank, lol. I also leave the molt in the tank...the majority of the time the shrimp actually eat their own molts.
Oh ok perfect thanks for the heads up! How long before he starts actually cleaning fish do you think? I got a bicolor angle yesterday as well and he keeps swimming up to the shrimp and tilting a little to his side but the shrimp just kind of rubs him with his antennas... I mainly got him to clean my baby hippo tang but I don't think he understands what it is just yet
My african flameback angel does the same dance to my fire shrimp...the shrimp has been ignoring him for weeks. In my other tank, my skunk cleaner would go as far as actually chasing around my fish, or sneakily jumping on top of them from above to get a chance at cleaning them.
Hard to say...I'm assuming/hoping my fire shrimp eventually "gets it" and starts doing his job. I haven't really looked into it much, but I'm wondering if available food is a factor...meaning if there is an excess of meaty food on the bottom of the tank they don't bother trying to clean off fish. I know there is plenty food on the bottom of the tank that the fire shrimp is in as he has no competition, whereas my skunk cleaner has to compete with a couple hermits, an emerald crab, and my diamond goby for food hanging out on the substrate. He definitely has a more voracious appetite than the fire shrimp...
Hard to say...I'm assuming/hoping my fire shrimp eventually "gets it" and starts doing his job. I haven't really looked into it much, but I'm wondering if available food is a factor...meaning if there is an excess of meaty food on the bottom of the tank they don't bother trying to clean off fish. I know there is plenty food on the bottom of the tank that the fire shrimp is in as he has no competition, whereas my skunk cleaner has to compete with a couple hermits, an emerald crab, and my diamond goby for food hanging out on the substrate. He definitely has a more voracious appetite than the fire shrimp...
Hit or miss, my red skunk cleaner has never cleaned anyone, even when my Raccoon would keep coming up to it and waiting ("shrimp's cleaning station?" lol). Oh well, now it moves around to different spots quite often and eats right out of my hand, haha. Funny to see shrimp "swim" around off the rocks, feeding time. My fire shrimp also never clean.
Good info here, never knew everyone just leaves the molts alone. I pick them out when I find them, but that's a pain sometimes, so no more.
Prolly not, just gotta let him be, heh. If he's like mine and never cleans, next step is to get another one, but read up on which species are ok in pairs with different tanks sizes. My two Fires get along great, but I heard that's not always the luck. I also have a 'wide' tank (55g footprint) with lots of tunnels and caves, so that helps.
Good info here, never knew everyone just leaves the molts alone. I pick them out when I find them, but that's a pain sometimes, so no more.
Prolly not, just gotta let him be, heh. If he's like mine and never cleans, next step is to get another one, but read up on which species are ok in pairs with different tanks sizes. My two Fires get along great, but I heard that's not always the luck. I also have a 'wide' tank (55g footprint) with lots of tunnels and caves, so that helps.
I just left the molt in and my hermits are chomping it up... Had like 8 of them on the molt so IMO I think it should be fine to leave it in there... Also just a side note the shrimp finally moved from the fan to the rocks! I haven't seen it but the small white spots that were on my hippo tang are gone now 
so hopefully the shrimp is doing its job!
so hopefully the shrimp is doing its job!Ok, all the sudden yesterday one of my two Blood/Fireshrimp setup a cleaning station, and right in the middle of the tank up front, lol! I was watching from my bed across the room and saw it clean the biggest Chromis. Then an hour later, one of the smaller Chromis was there getting picked at. Too cute. Plus they're both hanging out in the wide open, even in daytime now. Guess critters are getting more 'comfortable' as time goes on, cool!
Any luck with your Cleaner?
Any luck with your Cleaner?