How to keep shrimp / crab away during feeding Anemone

[dscount]

OK. Strange question.

Here is the problem. I feed my anemone every couple days a syringe of thawed mysis shrimp. Immediately upon doing that both shrimp and even the occasional hermit crabs come out of nowhere and start stealing the food away from the anemone. Even when he clamps down on the food they steal it out of his mouth while chewing so to speak.

So far I've basically had to sho them away with the dropper just so the guy can eat.

Any ideas? They are greedy little critters.

 

[Fluff]

I feed the shrimps first. If they are busy, they normally will leave the anemone alone. You still have to watch though as a precaution. They can be a pain.

 

[dscount]

Thanks Fluff!

It's actually pretty comical. I think my shrimp have it out for the anemone. The second I move away they scramble.

 

[Fluff]

Well, I'll tell you a story of an anemone fed up. (well, not really since you can't put human emotions on them)
I had two cleaner shrimp and a large rbt. They kept stealing the food. I had shooed them away and looked away for a minute to feed another tank. When I turned around the anemone was completely closed up and the shrimp was no where to be found. His buddy was on a higher rock just sitting there rocking back and forth. The shrimp never reappeared so it's assumed the anemone got his in the end. To add insult to injury, the following week, a repeat performance. It sucked but in a way it was poetic. The second shrimp had been behaving and I figured he learned a lesson from the first one. Guess not. :?

 

[dscount]

Too funny. I guess karma got the best of those two shrimp. Goes to show just cause they are slow the anemones are not that dumb.

 

[Gatorfreak]

I had the same problem until recently...when one of my clowns began hosting in the anemone. I was greatly amused the first time I saw my cleaner shrimp go to take the anemone's food and the clown attacked with fury!