Should I get cleaner shrimp, and do peppermints qualify?

[Phantom Phish]

OK, the subject line summarizes my question, but here's the details...

I'm setting up a new mixed reef tank, that currently has LR, LS, a colt coral and my clean up crew in it. Clean up crew includes 5 or 6 Peppermint shrimps added to get rid of the few scattered Aiptasia I had on the LR (they've done a bang up job, haven't seen an Aiptasia since they were added).

I haven't started to add any fish yet, but I'd eventually like to add one tang, probably a regal/pacific blue pallete. Due to the susceptability of Tangs to ich, I'm considering whether I should add cleaner shrimp to keep ahead of any future ich breakouts.

Do you think this would help? What kind of cleaner shrimp would you recommend, and how many? Do Peppermints act as cleaners of parasites? Will the cleaners and Peppermints get along?

(sorry about all the questions)

[karlas]

get the cleaners you can get a single one but they do better in pairs or groups. i would at least get a pair. most cleaners do clean but some dont. also it depends on the fish some accept cleaning some dont like it. but either way the shrimp are a great addition. the skumk cleaners are the ones your talking about. some peppermints will clean and both will get along fine in the tank.

actually peppermints, skunk, and fire (blood) shrimp are all a type of cleaner shrimp in the same family and can all do the same job. but the skunks are more likely to pick off the fish

[Phantom Phish]

Karlas: Thanks for the reply. I knew the peppermints and cleaners were fairly closely related, both in the same genus (Lysmata I think). I like the idea of a pair of the skunk cleaners. Do you think this is enough in a 105 gallon display?

[David Grigor]

Cleaner shrimps will certainly help with tangs. However, don't depend on them totally to prevent ich. Still best to feed nori regularly that has been soaked in Garlic as preventative.

Not as dramatic with Regal but I have an Achilles ( Black with orange tear drop ) that visits the cleaner almost every time it makes its round the tank. Really neat how it will change from jet black to a light brown, orange on the fins almost disappear when getting cleaned then changes back again seconds after getting cleaned.........

[Phantom Phish]

David: Sounds cool, what type and how many cleaner shrimp do you have?
Also, how often do you feed the garlic soaked nori?

[karlas]

105 gall i say go for a pair of each the peppermints, cleaner, and fire shrimp. my pairs kinda took there own spot in the tank



http://store4.yimg.com/I/personalize...e_1719_2471163fire shrimp

oh ya i feed my fish garlic about once a week

[David Grigor]

Just have 1 skunk and 1 blood in my 320g tank. Achilles goes to the blood shrimp exclusively.

Try to feed Nori once a day in the evening sometimes less not always with Garlic depends on how much of a hurry I'm in and if any reasons for concern with the livestock. I buy from an Asian shop where they are already precut. Just a few seconds in Krolic from GNC.

If I have any reason for concern such as a few visable white dots will feed 3 times daily ( Wife is a stay at home Mom ). The initial ick Achilles had took about 6 weeks to totally go away all the time was eating like a pig so never was a major concern especially since so suseptable to it.

[Jimbo]

I have had good luck with coral banded shrimp as cleaners. Everyone I've ever had would make a cleaning station But they can be mean to other shrimp.

[Phantom Phish]

Jimbo: Yeah, I've read that coral banded can be aggressive and even kill other shrimps. I'm reluctant to get one because of that. I'd like to keep my peppermints, in case Aiptasia try to make a come back in my tank. The coral banded shrimp are nice looking shrimp though.

Thanks for the ino Karlas and David. I didn't realize some fish prefer one type of cleaner shrimp over another. Maybe I should get a skunk cleaner and a red fire/blood cleaner.

[PaintGuru]

I used to have cleaner shrimp but they never came out during the day and I rarely saw them, so I have pretty much decided not to get any more for my tanks. Perhaps they are more social in groups, but again, the experience I have had is basically I wasted $20 on an animal I never saw.

[Big Dave]

I have one cleaner and 2 peps. I am going to get a second cleaner this week though. Shrimps in pairs will carry eggs and release them into the water column. This is just free food for corals and fish. The skunk cleaner I have now never hides, and I mean never - even at night. Although, my giant brittle is usually crawling behind the rock work so that may be the reason!! Just got my peps last weekend so I haven't noticed much of a change in my aiptasia poulation yet. I have a couple huge ones I need to shoot with some paste. When you buy peps, remember a camel shrimp looks like a pep but has a noticable bumb on its' back. Those you don't want! HTH

-Big Dave

[Phantom Phish]

Good point about getting a pair of the same shrimp to make babies (eggs)! The Peppermints I have are already doing this. Plus, I just looked up the price of the blood/fire red cleaner shrimps, and they're a good bit more expensive than the skunk cleaner shrimp. I think I'll add a pair of the skunks and hope the fish will use them or the peppermints for cleaning. If not I guess I'll have to think about exchanging either some peppermints or the skunks for the blood/reds.

Hopefully between the cleaner shrimp and using some garlic, I'll be able to keep ich outbreaks to a minimum.

[mapster]

8 shrimp in one tank seems like a lot to me. What size tank do you have?

[Big Dave]

Another option for preventing ich is Selcon. It's pretty much a vitamin you soak food/mush/nori in before you feed. I mix it right into my mush and soak some nori in it too. The only time my Hippo tangs had any ich spots was before I started adding Selcon to their food. I have never used garlic, but I would sware by the Selcon. All of my fish are fat and healthy!

Also, 'typically' the skunks are better cleaners than the blood shrimp, FWIW.

-Big Dave