Potentially silly cleaner shrimp question

[leafyseadragon]

I went to the LFS this week. I saw some cleaner shrimp in one tank, and some fish with ich in the tank next to it.

I was just curious: would a cleaner shrimp eat the ich spots off a fish, and if so, would it be fast enough to make a dent in the infestation? Or would it be more likely both would die witout some kind of medication?

 

[Atari]

They would but it's not the most reliable method of tackling the parasites.

 

[packfan2204]

i agree with atari, but my cleaner shrimp had my regal clean in a day

 

[fishfreek]

There are some factors that will affect the shrimps performance as an ich eating machine.

First if the fish is willing to be picked at. Most fish figure out the relationship but others will have nothing to do with the shrimp. For those fish the cleaner will do little good.

I see cleaners as more of a preventitive maintance thing than a cure.