Shrimp Suggestions?

[Spyderturbo007]

I'm heading to the LFS tomorrow to get some supplies and was thinking about picking up a shrimp. Any ideas on what to get?

I currently have some turbo, nassarius and cerith snails along with a few hermit crabs. My only fish is a purple fire fish, but I plan to add a pair of clowns next.

I also have one piece of hammer coral and a bunch of assorted polyps.

[ajcanale]

Cleaner shrimps are always cool... Gotta find one with a bold personality though. If your LFS has several or more, tell an employee to put there hand in the tank. Whichever one goes to the hand first... get that one.

Harlequin shrimp are very cool as well, though you will have to feed them chocolate starfish on the reg.

[horwitzs]

The blood shrimp aka fire shrimp is my favorite and i think what ajcanale was talking about. They are very pretty and have fantastic personality.

[Spyderturbo007]

My LFS is That Fish Place and their website says they have the "Skunk Cleaner Shrimp - Lysmata amboinensis - Small (http://www.thatpetplace.com/Lysmata-amboinensis-skunk-cleaner-shrimp-208943)" in stock. Is this what you were talking about?

I'm looking for a shrimp that will be out during the day as opposed to nocturnal.

The blood shrimp aka fire shrimp is my favorite and i think what ajcanale was talking about. They are very pretty and have fantastic personality.

One of these guys (http://www.thatpetplace.com/Lysmata-debelius-fire-cleaner-shrimp-208595)?

It says they have those in stock too. They are very pretty.

[Whisperer]

I would not bother with cleaner shrimp. They are interesting and have lots of personality but they have relatively short natural lifespan. I have a blood shrimp that was bought earlier than a juvenile cleaner shrimp. The cleaner has died a while back while the blood shrimp is still kicking. A coral banded shrimp was then added. It is nocturnal but has a longer lifespan.

[heathlindner25]

if you want to shrimp that's out during the day get a skunk cleaner.

[Spyderturbo007]

I would not bother with cleaner shrimp. They are interesting and have lots of personality but they have relatively short natural lifespan.

How long is typical?

I do really like the Fire Shrimp that horwitzs mentioned and since it appears to be the same as a Blood Shrimp, I might go that route. But the Skunk Cleaner is pretty cool too.

[Whisperer]

I have never kept one for more than a year.

[EllieSuz]

I had a Skunk for almost two years, but he was very small when purchased. Either of those cleaner shrimp are great, but the Blood Red is more reclusive. The Skunk is visible all the time. They will steal food from corals, but that's just life.

[Spyderturbo007]

I think based on the fact that the skunk is out more than the Blood shrimp, I'll opt for the skunk.

Are these guys acclimated like anything else? Float for 15, drip for about 45 minutes, net and drop in the tank?

[EllieSuz]

I adjust acclimation time to the sg of the bag of water the fish was in. Purchased a pistol shrimp yesterday and he had to be drip acclimated for two hours because the LFS water was very high. When you bring the shrimp home, test the bag water and go from there.

[Spyderturbo007]

I decided on the Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. Just one probably stupid question, but do I need to feed him or will he find enough excess food in the tank?

[benjc]

Don't worry about feeding him; he should have no problem catching scraps. Also, don't stress out and think he's dead the first time he molts. Mine molts every 3 weeks and still tricks me sometimes into thinking he's dead.