Cleaner Shrimp questions?

[tharkema]

I have recently purchased (just over a week ago) a cleaner shrimp and a couple of margarita snails. I have a 50g aquarium with 65lbs of live rock (started set-up April 17th). On the live rock I have seen found many hitchhikers and identified most of them. The include peanut worms, bristleworms, amphipods, and stomatella all of which seem to be very good additions to the aquarium.

However after adding the cleaner shrimp I haven't seen many bristleworms and wondering if the cleaner shrimp may be eating these as snacks? (I am guessing the peanut worms would not eat the bristleworms - but I have been wrong before). Also looking at getting some more snails for the CUC (Cerith and some more Margaritas but wondering if I have to worry about the cleaner shrimp eating the snails? (Note: I have not been feeding the cleaner shrimp anything yet as I feel he has lots of food to snack on in the aquarium - Is that assumption a mistake on my part?... He seems very healthy and has molted already once).

Canreef has helped me answer many of the questions I have had starting my tank.

Thanks for the wealth of information and anytime spent on this post :)

Tim

[ElGuappo]

i have 2 cleaners and have never seen them pick at any of my snails. also i have never seen them eat brstle worms, chances are they have moved at night into your substrate or inbetween rocks.

All i have and IMO.
Hope it helps.

[tharkema]

OK thanks for the reply... Kinda figured as much but just wanted to double check :)

[Myka]

Cleaners won't eat bristleworms. Like El Guappo said, they are liking hiding during the day. I also find that bristleworms are adventurous when there are no tank inhabitants, but once you put a few other critters in there they hide all the time.

Be aware that Margarita snails are a temperate species, and putting them into our tropical tanks increases their metabolism which makes them great algae eaters, but it also greatly reduces their natural lifespan. Something to be aware of if you are humane conscious (for lack of better description). ;)

Astrea snails are great additions, and are very hardy. Stomatellas are my favourite. If you ever decide you want to get a Peppermint shrimp he will likely eat all your Stomatellas (but no other snails).

You're right, there is no need to feed your Cleaner shrimp. You have enough live rock for him to pick at. :)

[tharkema]

I think I was looking at astrea snails previously and heard many good things about them... the only thing bad I heard was that they can not tip themselves back over if they end up upside-down. As for the shrimp I think we will only stay with the cleaner shrimp (maybe get one additional one as all they had was one left at LFS).

I think we will stay away from crabs for now as we would like to keep our snails. Looking at possibly adding a dragon goby to sift thru our sand bed. As for the rest we are looking to slowly add more to the tank and trying to take our time (very hard).

[marie]

I have seen my cleaners and my peppermint shrimp eat bristleworms. Thats not to say they will clean your tank of them but it will make all bristleworms a lot more wary of coming out into the open.


Oh and your shrimp will also eat any stomatella snails it finds out in the open

[Myka]

I think I was looking at astrea snails previously and heard many good things about them... the only thing bad I heard was that they can not tip themselves back over if they end up upside-down. As for the shrimp I think we will only stay with the cleaner shrimp (maybe get one additional one as all they had was one left at LFS).

I think we will stay away from crabs for now as we would like to keep our snails. Looking at possibly adding a dragon goby to sift thru our sand bed. As for the rest we are looking to slowly add more to the tank and trying to take our time (very hard).

I've had Cerith and Margaritas die from being unable to right themselves, but I've never had an Astrea did from that. But ya, "they" do say Astreas are prone to it, just not ime. ;)

Crabs are banned from my tank!!! Good call on your part. :D

I have a Hector's Goby that does a fantastic job of sifting the sand, but my Orange Lip Conch does 10x the work the Goby does!! Fighting Conches are just as good.

Oh and your shrimp will also eat any stomatella snails it finds out in the open

I thought it was only Peppermints that did that...?

[sharuq1]

Another thing about the dragon gobies is they sift sand all over pretty much everything. not a big deal if you don't have coral but can be a pita if you do.

[Myka]

Another thing about the dragon gobies is they sift sand all over pretty much everything. not a big deal if you don't have coral but can be a pita if you do.

Yes, my Hector's goby does this. Most of my corals can deal with sloughing the sand themselves though, I just keep them propped at an angle to help. ;)

[tharkema]

Hmmm interesting info.... which brings up another question.

I will eventually be looking into corals once our tank settles out and we feel more comfortable with our marine aquarium. So should we be looking to an alternative to the dragon goby (or other goby) to sift thru the sand bed. I have looked at a couple other options (sand sifting starfish and brittle starfish), but found from the research that maybe the goby is the best option for what I need.

Please remember that its a 50-55g aquarium with 65 lbs of live rock not much realestate for a sand sifting starfish to move around on and have read mixed reviews on brittle starfish and possibly attacking fish in the aquarium.

[ElGuappo]

From what i have heard there is only one color of brittle you need to worry about eating fish. not sure if its true or not but i beleive its the green and black ones.

I have had a sand sifter in my 34 g since the get go and hes fine. they may get big but im sure someone would love to trade a smaller one for a larger one. ialso have a pearly (yellow headed) jawfish. but digs until he finds a home he likes and then just home maintanence.