When your skunk cleaner shrimp goes to the dark side!

[Animal-Chin]

Oh man did my cleaner shrimp become a jerk! He realized that coral take in food and harrassed every coral that he could looking for peices of shrimp in their mouths. He created a routeen. He'd start with my bubble coral. He picked at this so much I think it may die. Then he'd clean all the polyps on my montis and poci's so they would retract all their polyps. Drove me nuts. Then started agitating my 100 head duncan coral, ok shirmp you've crossed the line! then took to my zoa garding making sure to close up every one! DUDE YOU"RE KILLING ME!

I tried a trap. He didn't fall for it

I tried chasing with a net, they are FAST and really good hiding.


So how do you remove one? How do you trick it? I just figured it out.

Don't feed your tank for 3 days, get it hungry.

Turn off all your pumps so the water is still.

Drop in floating pellets, he'll come to the surface upside down to snag them. Then BAM hit him with a huge net! Thats what I did, he's now peacefully living in my quarantine tank ready to clean any new fish I bring in. Took about a month to get the stinker out though...

[Adamski]

Turkey Baster with some food and get the net ready?


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[Animal-Chin]

Originally Posted by Adamski

Turkey Baster with some food and get the net ready?


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Too smart for that. He used to eat right out of my baster, hanging off the front until that dang net came out. Then he wouldn't go near it. Smart little things they are...

[Crobb]

Both mine eat out of my hand, would be the easiest catches ever if I ever need to get rid of mine lol


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[Flaxon-Waxon]

Not skunks, but I had 4 peppermint shrimp wreaking havoc on a few of my corals. Couldn't net them, so I actually dangled my fingers in the water near the rocks they were on and they weren't shy. Basically grabbed on, and I cornered them by hand, and then netted them at the surface. In the sump they went...

[likeaboss2645]

It seems like the peppermint shrimp get worse when they are in a group of more than 2? Anyone else have thoughts on that?


90 gal reef

[Crobb]

IME you should never have more than 2 skunk shrimp. I've tried in tanks larger than 100g and everytime two become a mated pair and pick on the third wheel or others. Literally have seen the two mates chase other skunk shrimps around and attacking them


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[Jcj0033]

Lol get a mystery wrasse problem solved lol


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