Any experience with Banded Coral Shrimp?

[ScubaPrawn]

I've done some searching and some sources say BCS will clean fish while others don't mention this at all.

I'm considering getting a BCS for my tank and wanted to know if they will actively clean fish like cleaner shrimp will.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Mine were not cleaners at all, despite fish asking for it.

[ForSaleByAndy]

I love mine. He's always out at night hangin around -- he'll stand on the edge of the rock and catch stuff when I feed it and then scavenges around picking around in the meantime. When I come to the glass to look, he always comes around and swims right up to me. Don't be surprised when he sheds his outer later once a month or so.

He doesn't seem interested in any fish, though. My cleaner shrimp doesn't either, for that matter. The cleaner shrimp would rather climb over my hand when I clean the tank than go near a fish...lol ;)

[wab]

My bcs (yellow body) only chases fish instead of trying to clean them.

[ScubaPrawn]

Thanks for the info guys. Does this mean I may have assumed to much when it comes to cleaner shrimp actually cleaning fish?

[Rosterc]

Yeah I have had several.. they only seems to chase fish, i have never seen actual cleaning going on.. its entertaining nonetheless and a great addition!

[jbob]

i dont have 1 but this is the experience i've heard about them.

http://linomareefs.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4694

[thegrun]

Cleaner shrimp will clean old dead scales off fish, but if you are looking for a magical cure for ich or flukes, look elsewhere.

[kingfisher62]

Yeah, a Coral banded shrimp will clean fish . They will clean them of their eyes , fins and flesh. They can be pretty mean and will try to catch fish. I originally put my CBS in my
14g cube in the confines of a small tank he was able to catch small fish. I moved him to a larger 55g tank with larger fish he still trys to grab them and occasionaly tears a little finnage.

[rale2001]

I have bcs and I love that lil feller he gracefully flutters around the tank and yes it is a show when he tries to catch food that floats around. He does eat leftover mysis and flakes that hand around the bottom of the tank. He hasn't bothered the clowns or the damsels I previously had but when I add my firefish goby the first night in the tank the goby would hide down to his little cave behind my base rock and he was snapping at him the first aggression I've seen from him. I've had hime 3 mons and yes he does moult once a month. As of now he's the centerpiece of the tank when he comes out of hidin and comes to post up on the higher peaks of the rocks.

[kingfisher62]

Don't get me wrong , they are very cool shrimp and very impressive . I love em! but do not put them in a tiny tank!

[Rybren]

I have a fairly large one in my 30G tank. It ate my peppermint and my Hector's Goby.

I was not impressed.

[Milky3]

I"ve had Louie for 1 year now he is great addition to my tank, he even knows that the turkey baster is his friend.

[robs.mark]

Ive had 1 for a year, he was aggressive in my 55, but in my 90 he is great. Never cleans fish, used to try to grab them but now hes good as gold. He used to molt once a month but hasnt done that in 3 months or so now. He is very active and cleans my fingernails when i put them near him!

[Playa-1]

I have one and it hides under a rock most of the time. I catch a glimpse of it every now and then. It seems pretty harmless for the most part but does not take on an active cleaning role like like some of the other shrimp. It it fun to watch on the rare occasion that it decides to move around the tank a bit.

[Felix T Cat]

I have one in my 135, I like him and he trys to chase the fish every once in a while if they get too close to him. Watched him pick up a snail the other day eat it's foot but otherwise I don't have any issues with him. Pretty cool to look at IMO so he stays.

[educom]

Hey Scuba, I've had a banded coral shrimp in my 75G for almost a year, and I have never seen him clean any of the fish. I have a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp in the same tank that will readily eat a whole host of parasites off your fish and from within their mouth. I had a mild case of ich one time and the fish lined up to have him pick the ich off of them. It was amazing to watch.