Cleaner being ganged up on

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

havefun

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
354
Location
Dubuque, Iowa
So last night I was at the LFS to buy some salt. While I was there I just *happened* to walk by the tanks. They had 1 skunk cleaner and it was only $19.00. He looked a little small but I've always wanted one so I figured what the heck. I got him home and sat by the bucket for 3 hours while he acclimated to my tank (drip).
For some reason he looked even smaller next to my tank - anyway, after the 3 hours I scooped him up and gently placed him on a rock.
Now, I have this other fish that I was a little concerned about, a skunkback pseudochromis. I only have a few fish but this one is my favorite - he has the most character. He is constantly checkout the lr for any movement. If he sees something he just hovers motionless staring at it, sort of like a humming bird. Then he'll just smash into it - snails, hermits, etc usually knocking them to the sand.
The poor little cleaner wasn't in there more than 1 minute before the fish spotted him. Instantly the fish started in on the cleaner - I found myself yelling at the fish and waving my hands trying to scare him away :oops:
Well eventually the cleaner found the safety of a cave under a rock. The problem there was that the cave was excavated by a pistol shrimp. The cleaner disappeared and it took all of 5 seconds before I heard *POP* and then a few seconds later another *POP*.
He made it back out to safety but I think it might be a while before he feels brave enough to start his cleaning duties.

So that was my Friday night excitement!
 
Much better excitement than watching the tube. :wink:
I had a similar situation.
Hope your little guy makes it.
Good deal on the shrimp.
My wife paid almost $30 for her first one.
 
I had put a peppermint shrimp in my 55gal with a bi-color pseudochromis, and it did the same thing (beating it up a little bit). I saw the shrimp go into a hole and I hadn't seen him for a few weeks and i thought it had been eaten by my bi-color. BUT, 5 MONTHS LATER...i saw the shrimp stick his head out of a hole in the LR! Cool... He's still alive and kicking...
 
Ha ha, cool! It's amazing that we will spend $20 or more for something we might see a couple of times a year.

I found mine last night - he was in the back hanging under some rock ... woohoo!
 
Cool, keep in mind, they tend to hide after a molt.
 
Back
Top Bottom