My First Cleaner Shrimp - Question

[dannable]

Just added my first cleaner shrimp to my tank. For a couple of weeks it is just going to be him and 5 snails (in my 35 gallon fowlr).

The LFS told me to put in a small pinch (few flakes) of Newlife Saltwater Flake Food in a couple of times a day for feeding until I get some fish.

Should that be sufficient to feed him. I don't want the poor thing to starve.

[saltycreefer]

yeah that sounds ok

[brownsugar]

If you can get some sinking pellet type food that would be beneficial.

I dont have a cleaner but i have a coral banded - sorry i shouldnt begin to compare since they have totally different characteristics but yeh i use Spectrum Thera + A made by New Life.
My coral banded loves to play catch you could call it.

I prefer this product since the pellets float for a bit then sink so all levels of inhabitants get a chance to eat.
Also doesnt decompose as bad as frozen foods and flakes. Alot cleaner.

But aslong as your flakes sink i guess & its bound to feed off something in the rock aswell.

[techreef]

like most marine animals, it seems like a varied diet is best. so I wouldn't just have one type of flake food. maybe start stocking up on various dry and frozen foods while you're still getting ready to start stocking your tank in earnest.

also, don't worry about the flake food sinking. even if it doesn't, your skunk cleaner will swim up to the surface and grab food. mine do.

[dalejr_802]

hey guuy i just have a few ? just a couple of days ago my tank was infected byBrooklynellosis from my clown that i bout (i did not qt...but next time i will) so my ? is can i put a cleaner shrimp on my infected tank because its goin to be fishless for 6 weeks and how long do u think i should qt a fish

[tprize]

I take a small amount of water out of the tank in a cup, add the dry food into the cup then pore it into my high flow area, the food goes through the tank and stays suspended throughout the tank High or Low.

[BlueCoast]

if food is in the tank, the shrimp will come, i cannot target feed ANyTHING without making sure the shrimp has a piece to keep him occupied. He gets whatever everyone else is eating usually. This could be Mysis (much better than brine shrimp) bloodworms, silversides... my hand.... he is not picky.

An easy way i do it - stick a piece in the end of a straw with my finger plugging the top of the straw. the food wants to float up the straw but the air inside keeps it at the end where the shrimp can easily pull it out when it gets near him. fun watching the little spaz once he smells a meal.

[Randall_James]

A single feeding would be more than adequate I would think. Having to feed him serveral times a day is not going to work out very well... For fun, just turn off the pumps, and make some food sink around the shrimp, by the 2nd or 3rd day, he will swim up to your fingers for a personal feeding :)

[Ti]

shrimps will come to my hand for food.

[cody-the-roo]

My cleaner shrimp (may they rest in peace) used to swim upside down to get to the floating food at the top of the tank. I eventually went the route of taking some larger cichlid pellets that I had and soaked them in salt water (1 for each shrimp). After soaking, they'd sink to the bottom and the shrimp would each grab their "football" and munch away. After that, they would go scavenging around the bottom for any food the fish missed.

I miss them.