What to feed my cleaner shrimp?

[Mikail97]

A couple days ago i got a skunk cleaner shrimp, i have a tomato clownfish and a yellow wrasse i feed them flake food, but my cleaner shrimp sits upside down in a cave in a rock and the flakes never get down that low for the shrimp to catch it do i need to directly feed it ? its in a 29 gallon tank ! thanks,
Mikail :fish1:

[cloak]

A cleaner shrimp is basically part of the CUC IMO. It should be getting all the food it needs by either picking up the scraps or catching a morsel here & there. If you want, you could try soaking the flakes in a cup of water before you feed. This will make it a little bit easier for the shrimp to get.

[thegrun]

Give him a few days to acclimate to your tank, all the cleaner shrimp I've ever owned were (and are) pigs, I have to work to keep them from eating all the food. They will swim up to the top of the tank and gather more than their fair share.

[TexasMike]

You could also feed your tank a bit of diversity with foods that sink/float around in the column ie, pellets, frozen foods, etc.

[EllieSuz]

You didn't mention what fish you have, but I would make an attempt to vary their diet a bit. Flakes alone seldom provide the right kind of nutrition. Pellets are better, particularly the Spectrum brand. Depending on the fish, some frozen foods might also be a good addition. In answer to your question, you should not have to feed your shrimp, but now and then if you like, blow a bit of food his way with a turkey baster or feeding tube.

[Palting]

LOL!! I never thought of feeding my skunk shrimp. They'll eat anything and everything, even fish poo (yechh). Everytime I spot feed the coral, I have to beat them off with the feeder. I think they have come to believe the feeder is now a coral defense mechanism LOL!!

Just give him time. He will soon be foraging. If you really want to feed him, you can get frozen mysis and slowly flush it near him with a turkey baster. Or, you can get some sinking pellets.

[Lynnmw1208]

LOL!! I never thought of feeding my skunk shrimp. They'll eat anything and everything, even fish poo (yechh). Everytime I spot feed the coral, I have to beat them off with the feeder. I think they have come to believe the feeder is now a coral defense mechanism LOL!!

Just give him time. He will soon be foraging. If you really want to feed him, you can get frozen mysis and slowly flush it near him with a turkey baster. Or, you can get some sinking pellets.

+1 to beating the shrimp off of the coral lol. Mine goes crazy when I feel pellets. you can also probably get him to take an algae wafer from your hand or even flake food. Mine will definitely do that.

[Mikail97]

elliesuz i have a yellow wrasse and a tomato clown and thanks for the advice everyone !

[Dr Colliebreath]

Mine eat from the water column. I toss a couple of large sinking pellets in a couple times per week to supplement what they find on their own. The pellets are ON 1 and are too large for the fish but the shrimp take them into the rocks and pick the pellets apart.

[billdogg]

I made the mistake of putting in a cube of mysis yesterday that was still mostly frozen (I was in a hurry to go couldn't wait till it thawed) My cleaner shrimp went to the top of the tank and waited for the surface current to bring it around, then snagged it and took it into a crevase that the fish could not get to. It was quite funny to watch - my fish were all waiting for a morsel to float away. I think the shrimp ate about 80% of the mysis.

Don't worry - I have never spot fed a cleaner shrimp - it will find plenty to eat all on it's own.

[Psirex]

i made the mistake of putting in a cube of mysis yesterday that was still mostly frozen (i was in a hurry to go couldn't wait till it thawed) my cleaner shrimp went to the top of the tank and waited for the surface current to bring it around, then snagged it and took it into a crevase that the fish could not get to. It was quite funny to watch - my fish were all waiting for a morsel to float away. I think the shrimp ate about 80% of the mysis.

Don't worry - i have never spot fed a cleaner shrimp - it will find plenty to eat all on it's own.

lol!!!

[yubunski]

No special feeding needed like the other posters saids. Eventually it'll swim up to grab the food.

[sporto0]

Just for shoots & giggles, every now & again, I will put a pellet of food between my fingers & wait for my cleaner shrimp to find it, normally takes about 5 seconds!

[WetShepherd]

I started out hand feeding my two cleaners with a syringe (various frozen) because my clowns would always clean out the tank before it fell low enough for the shrimp. I've never seen them swim more than an inch or so off the LR or sand. More of a hop really.

These days the clowns are more relaxed and the shrimp are more assertive so everyone gets a bit.

Oh and about the flakes - I only use them once a week for variety, but my shrimp love 'em. I always take a pinch and hold them in the water to let them saturate (clowns / Eibl nibble away) then let the mp10 distribute them on feeder mode.

[Curtis72]

I never feed mine directly and he's growing. They just eat all the leftovers and the algae. I love that little guy. When I put my hand in the tank he swims up to it and feels it. He's very curious.

[snorvich]

A cleaner shrimp is basically part of the CUC IMO. It should be getting all the food it needs by either picking up the scraps or catching a morsel here & there.

Yes, they are excellent scavengers. Whatever you feed, they will clean it up. Mine (I have many) will eat NLS pellets, mysis, etc, etc. Cheeseburgers I suppose if I fed them that.

[snorvich]

Just for shoots & giggles, every now & again, I will put a pellet of food between my fingers & wait for my cleaner shrimp to find it, normally takes about 5 seconds!

In the wild, I have had them clean my teeth. Really feels weird.

[SushiGirl]

I spot feed mine mysis as the 2nd to be fed in the tank. Keeps him from stealing from everyone else LOL.

[Dr Colliebreath]

Steve, Just your front teeth or did you open your mouth and let it clean the backs and sides of your teeth? :eek1: