Catching cleaner shrimp???

[Stones]

Just wondering if anyone out there has any ideas of how to catch a cleaner shrimp in a fully stocked reef with tons of live rock and corals.

I've tried the pop bottle trap with a funnel made from the top of the bottle on one end. It worked really well to get one of my cleaners out but the second cleaner appears to be wise to the whole situation. Catching with a net is impossible as there is way too many corals and too much live rock for him to hide in. Removing the rock is also not an option. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[tlo]

what about putting some food in the net?

[purplepolypeater]

i just let them latch on to my hand to clean it and slip a net underneath.

[Gools]

You'll have to make a different kind of trap. Try using an acrylic box, or try to section off a front corner of the tank, bait it with food, but put the food in tubing so the fish can't get it out. My shrimp only come out at night, so hopefully you don't have to stay up all night to watch them. Good luck.

[Stones]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I've pretty much tried all of the above with no avial accept for building a new acrylic trap. I don't think that would work anyways because as soon as the shrimp touches plastic, he knows something is up. I even lined the bottom of the last trap with sand and he still wouldn't crawl in there. He pretty much won't leave his cave in the live rock for anything anymore as he has become rather skiddish. Oh well, I guess I'll keep trying.

[lastlight]

The two I used to have would both climb into my hand for food. Too bad your loner isn't quite as friendly...

[Sam1969]

Stupid question ... but .... why do you want to catch him ?

[Stones]

I'm planning on treating the tank for planaria with flatworm exit or levasole and I'd rather remove the more sensitive invertebrates if i can. I know that both are "supposed" to be non-toxic and reef safe but I'm worried about the toxins from the flatworms snuffing my cleaners on me. It seems that cleaner shrimp are kind of like the canary in a coal mine, usually the first ones to go if there is something off with your water.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Try not feeding the tank for a couple days, make sure the shrimp is hungry then try the pop bottle trap again with some food inside. In my experience shrimp are voracious feeders. As for flat worms have you considered something like a six line wrasse?

Douglas

[Stones]

Regarding the flatworms, I won't be able to put in a 6 line as they are far to aggressive and would likely kill my yellow coris and leopard wrasses. I was told that a scooter blennie may help erridicate flatworms but I had never heard of that before. But since adding one a few months back, my flatworm population has significantly declined. Not sure if it was coincidence or not but I might not even have to resort to using chemical warfare if this keeps up.

[dkcrx]

scooter blennie and Mandarin gobies are great flat worm eaters.