Cleaner Shrimp and Rose BTA

Mike_jorg · 01/06/2018, 09:05 AM

I have a 30 gallon aquarium and have had 2 clowns and a cleaner shrimp (along with some corals) for about a year.

Last week we decided to add an anemone to the tank, and it seems to be doing alright overall (one of the clowns has even shown pretty consistent interest in the nem).

My issue is that the cleaner shrimp perches right about the anemone and fends off the clowns as well as seems to be aggravating the anemone (most notably today).

Any thoughts on this overall?

(Would also welcome advice on whatever type of algae is annihilating that rock. There are 2 rocks where it is present, the rest of the tank is spotless.)

mborn · 01/06/2018, 01:52 PM

It’s unlikely the shrimp is fending off the clowns, it’s most likely trying to clean them and this drives them off. The shrimp will bother the anemone especially when you try to feed it. The shrimp will most certainly steal the food away from the anemone. You’ll need to stand there with a plastic grabber or something and keep the shrimp away until the anemone has consumed the food. This will get old very fast. If you prefer the anemone, you should just get rid of the shrimp. It’s always going to behave this way and be a pain. The algae you have looks like bryopsis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mike_jorg · 01/06/2018, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mborn

It’s unlikely the shrimp is fending off the clowns, it’s most likely trying to clean them and this drives them off. The shrimp will bother the anemone especially when you try to feed it. The shrimp will most certainly steal the food away from the anemone. You’ll need to stand there with a plastic grabber or something and keep the shrimp away until the anemone has consumed the food. This will get old very fast. If you prefer the anemone, you should just get rid of the shrimp. It’s always going to behave this way and be a pain. The algae you have looks like bryopsis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thats what I was afraid of... Love the shrimp, but I would rather the anemone. We also have 3 peppermint shrimp (had a small aiptasia outbreak, and our LFS recommended pep's working best in sets of 3...). Same concern with those?

Also- any recommendation for getting rid of bryopsis?

mborn · 01/07/2018, 08:41 PM

Bryopsis can be common in newer tanks and usually goes away on it’s own when it uses up the phosphates and nitrates that leach from live rock that’s not completely cured. It can also grow on detritus that settles on rock/sand that releases nutrients as it decays. You could try siphoning any detritus off the affected rocks the next time you do a water change. If there is detritus settling you could adjust/increase flow so more of it gets to a skimmer or a sump where it’s easier to remove. Honestly I don’t know about the peppermints, I’ve never kept any.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Kinetic · 01/07/2018, 10:16 PM

If your light is strong enough, you wouldn't really have to feed the anemone. So maybe once in awhile.

01/06/2018, 01:52 PM	#2
mborn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Escondido, CA Posts: 346	It’s unlikely the shrimp is fending off the clowns, it’s most likely trying to clean them and this drives them off. The shrimp will bother the anemone especially when you try to feed it. The shrimp will most certainly steal the food away from the anemone. You’ll need to stand there with a plastic grabber or something and keep the shrimp away until the anemone has consumed the food. This will get old very fast. If you prefer the anemone, you should just get rid of the shrimp. It’s always going to behave this way and be a pain. The algae you have looks like bryopsis. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/07/2018, 08:41 PM	#4
mborn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Escondido, CA Posts: 346	Bryopsis can be common in newer tanks and usually goes away on it’s own when it uses up the phosphates and nitrates that leach from live rock that’s not completely cured. It can also grow on detritus that settles on rock/sand that releases nutrients as it decays. You could try siphoning any detritus off the affected rocks the next time you do a water change. If there is detritus settling you could adjust/increase flow so more of it gets to a skimmer or a sump where it’s easier to remove. Honestly I don’t know about the peppermints, I’ve never kept any. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/07/2018, 10:16 PM	#5
Kinetic Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 7,230	If your light is strong enough, you wouldn't really have to feed the anemone. So maybe once in awhile.