Information on Cleaner Shrimp

[aldo]

Hi,

I have been told that cleaner shrimp will clean up various items in the tank and also can eradicate my ICK problem. Could someone please send me the name of the shrimp I am referring to.

I have a 66 gallon tank with 40 lb live rock. What is the MINIMUM shrimp I would need to do me some good. The following is what I have in the tank.

Rock Beauty
Clown
Copper Band
Blue Hippo
Yellow Tang
Royal Gamma
1 - Snail ?
1 - Arrow Crab
2 - Hermit Black/White Crabs

I know that when I change to a reef tank, to my dismay, some of my fish may have to go. Could anyone tell me differently as I have become attached to these little guys.

Thanks.

Aldo

 

[HoopsGuru]

It is my guess that regardless of having a reef, overcrowding and the resulting stress is what is causing your Ick problem (if it wasn't obviously introduced that is through lack of QT, etc.). I don't believe even an army of cleaner shrimp will help, as some fish simply won't go to them, and I believe they are more of a hopeful measure to keep parasites away, than a legitimate treatment.

Between the Rock Beauty, Hippo Tang, and the Yellow Tang, I don't think there is enough swimming room to not cause stressful interactions. The RB and HT should really be in larger tanks, and depending on the dimensions of the 66g perhaps even the YT should too (most agree that 4' of swimming length is at least a very basic judgement of space required).

If you really have Ick, the only solution I see is to isolate all the fish separately and treat appropriately, including finding new homes for some of the fish before aggression becomes an issue as well.

 

[fishfreek]

I would not go as far as to say a cleaner shrimp would eradicate an ick problem. It would more or less assist (if the fish let it) in picking some of the parasites off the fish but it wont end up wiping out the parasite entierly.

Common name is the skunk cleaner.

A pair of them would be nice additions but as we said i dont belive them to be the 'cure all' for your ick problem.

 

[aldo]

Cleaner Shrimps



THANKS

I sort of gotten to like these little guys. They are very young and still quite small.

Really not my day!

In a 66 gallon tank, how many fish can I have comfortably when I am eventually thinking of turning to a reef tank?

Thanks.
Aldo

 

[fishfreek]

ITs more of a combination of how many fish and what type of fish.

Tangs overall should be in larger tanks so even if you say had a 20 gal tank. You could keep a few fish in there if they where small but none of them could be a tang.

 

[HoopsGuru]

I sort of gotten to like these little guys.

I can't think of a much better reason to upgrade to a much larger tank!

If not possible, as mentioned the amount of fish will depend on what they are. Depending on the dimensions (what are they anyway?), my first guess would be that the clown (what species?), CB, royal gramma, and perhaps the tang could stay. A new extra tank such as a 125g or 150g may make room for the RB and hippo?