Scarlet Shrimp ninja decoy

[Lee]

I recently introduced a Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp into my tank for no particular reason other than the fact that I like the way they look in the tank. Turns out he's a master ninja. The lights go out and he stalks my Yellow Tang for 9 straight hours until the lights come on for breakfast. He'll pretend to be busy digging at a rock while the unsuspecting baby Yellow Tang swims past his rock, then BAM, he leaps out like a pouncing Tiger and latches onto my Tang (whom immediately has a seizure) and hangs upside down on him and goes to work. The most recent Ninja move my shrimp pulled was the ninja decoy. He produced a clone-silhouette version of himself to distract my other fish while he plots his attack

Either that, or he just shed a layer of skin, antennae and all. Its pretty creepy.

But in all seriousness, should I remove this from the tank? (the outer layer of his former self) Is he going to continue doing this every two weeks? He's a cleaner shrimp, I commissioned him to clean up the tank! He's not supposed to be leaving his skin laying all over the place!

[michael_cb_125]

Well he is a cleaner shrimp. He is doing his job. Cleaner shrimp, clean your fish. They will jump onto the fish and pick away dead skin, parisites, etc. Most fish like for the little shrimp to clean them. ALso, just leave the molt in the tank, it wont hurt a thing.~Michael

[lcstorc]

Michael is correct but I love the story.

[Lee]

Originally Posted by michael_cb_125

Well he is a cleaner shrimp. He is doing his job. Cleaner shrimp, clean your fish. They will jump onto the fish and pick away dead skin, parisites, etc. Most fish like for the little shrimp to clean them. ALso, just leave the molt in the tank, it wont hurt a thing.~Michael

Yeah I know, I was kidding about the attacking part.

So leaving the molt is ok? It won't cause an ammonia spike or anything?

[michael_cb_125]

I figured you were kidding.
The molt will be fine. ACtually I have seen min fire shrimp eat his molt.

[Lee]

Lol! Well thats gross, but better than having to pull it out yourself!

Thanks for the info everyone!

[Royalscott]

I take the molt out and put it in the toilet to try and scare my kids ROFLMAO!

Hasnt scared them yet, but it lets me have a good healthy laugh when they go into the bathroom and raise the lid.

[doog]

On the subject, i just had my first fish, a yellow tang, die less than 24 hours after being put in display tank with 2 fire shrimp. the tang had been q-t'd for 2 weeks and looked good. immediately after i put him in d-tank fire shrimp jumped on board and started picking. i thought this was cleaning activity. later in the day, the tang was hiding under a pile of live rock, with one shrimp staying with it, occasionally picking. i still thought this was ok (dummy). this am, tang was stuck to overflow box intake. i tried to rescue it, but he died soon after.

i think the fire shrimp had something to do with my tang dying. anyone agree/disagree?

Thanks in advance,
doog

75 gal/20 gal sump. 3 months old. am,nh2,nh3 = 0,0,10. ph 8.4, ca 375. 110 lb LR, 2 fire shrimp, 1 turbo, 2 astrea, 1 cowrie. csr-800 overflow box, asm g-1 skimmer, blueline hd 40 pump. 1 inch sand under 1 inch gravel bottom.

[lcstorc]

I really don't think a fireshrimp could or would kill a tang. Did you check the parameters between the two tanks? Did you acclimate him to the display? What are the parameters of the display? A tang is a pretty heavy bio-load to add to a newly cycled tank.

[sasquatch]

I think the "cleaner" type shrimp belong in the crabs are evil pages, my nija peppermints are in the fuge now, Ill put them back if the aiptasia returns, in 2 weeks my aiptasia filter in the fuge is GONE, hungry fellas I guess

[BigAl07]

I've had several Cleaner Shrimp and not had any do any harm. I suspect there is something "off" in your tank that we're not catching. Sorry for your loss.

[AnotherLousy1]

OK, that story made me laugh. Like everyone else says, the molt is fine to be left in the tank and the shrimp may even eat it, if something else doesn't first.

I think it's normal for the ninja part ... I have a skunk cleaner that will do that to my clowns and royal gramma. The gramma gets all freaked out, then clowns don't want anything to do with him, however, my orange spotted goby loves the grooming he gets.

LOL on the story, made me litterally laugh out loud!

[Lee]

Originally Posted by AnotherLousy1

OK, that story made me laugh. Like everyone else says, the molt is fine to be left in the tank and the shrimp may even eat it, if something else doesn't first.

I think it's normal for the ninja part ... I have a skunk cleaner that will do that to my clowns and royal gramma. The gramma gets all freaked out, then clowns don't want anything to do with him, however, my orange spotted goby loves the grooming he gets.

LOL on the story, made me litterally laugh out loud!

Glad I could deliver some laughs.

My new skunk cleaner shrimp is competing with my peppermint shrimp for "biggest waste of money." I've had my peppermint shrimp for about 4 months, seen him twice. My new skunk cleaner shrimp has been in the tank for about 1 month, and I have not seen him once since I put him in there. Not even once. I've seen a mort, so I know he's still alive... He doesn't clean anyone like my old cleaner shrimp did... sucks