Camelback or Cleaner shrimp?

Hockey0000325 · 02/08/2010, 09:55 PM

I have a bit of an issue with my very first coral in my tank! I purchased a hammer coral and it seems that as soon as my lights go out my 2 shrimp start taking off to whatever area my hammer is in. I have now moved it 2 times. I purchased the Hammer coral Thursday and it has been increasingly going downhill since the very first night when it was completely open. The coral now appears to have 2 dead heads and the other 4 are hurting. But when I pop the lights on in the room or use a flashlight I see one shrimp picking at the coral. Cant tellk if he is cleaning dead matter or eating at it. Any absolute signs I can tell. They both seem to have a white spot on them by their heads. If this is a Camelback how do I trap em to get em out?

bertoni · 02/08/2010, 10:04 PM

I suspect that the shrimp is eating the coral. Can you post a picture of it?

TNTFISHY · 02/08/2010, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

I suspect that the shrimp is eating the coral. Can you post a picture of it?

I have a branching hammer and a frogspawn. My Cleaner has never threatened to eat either one. It has, however, picked food off it's tentacles. The Cleaner grabs food off all of my coral. None has died. I had a peppermint shrimp and he did likewise. My corals stayed nice and healthy. Is it eating at it because it's dying? Chicken or egg? Weird.

BayAreaBigMac · 02/08/2010, 10:14 PM

You may want to cut the bottom off a clear platic bottle, poke multiple small holes in it and use it to cover your coral.

Typically, a cleaner shrimp will clean right out in front of god and everybody.
Not hide untill after lights out to do the deed. They often setup cleaning stations for regular visitors to come by to get cleaned.
Do they go for your hand when you clean the tank?

All these are typical cleaner behavior.
I cannot comment on the camel

Hockey0000325 · 02/09/2010, 08:39 AM

They do act very strange I cannot tell if its eating the coral or not and no Bertoni I wish i could snap a pic but by the time i get close enough the shrimp take off and hide. It puzzles me because the first night the hammer opened up beautifully and after lights out that first night it has looked terrible!

Chris27 · 02/09/2010, 09:38 AM

Some peppermints will devour hammer's and frogspawn - most camels will. I agree though, that a cleaner shouldn't pose much of a problem.

It may be a good idea to pick one or the other (coral or shrimp) and remove one of them.

If not an option, you could try spot feeding the shrimp daily to see if it's just hungry...

costellow · 02/09/2010, 09:44 AM

I was told Camel shrimp are not reef safe.

TNTFISHY · 02/09/2010, 09:50 AM

My hammer will, once in a blue moon, retract for a day or two. Then it'll open up an be fine.

Hockey0000325 · 02/09/2010, 03:16 PM

does anyone know the best way to remove these shrimp? I am open to any ideas!

bertoni · 02/09/2010, 03:54 PM

Catching animals can be a challenge. My cleaners were easy to catch because they would eat out of my hand. You could try baiting a trap, I guess.

02/08/2010, 09:55 PM	#1
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	Camelback or Cleaner shrimp? I have a bit of an issue with my very first coral in my tank! I purchased a hammer coral and it seems that as soon as my lights go out my 2 shrimp start taking off to whatever area my hammer is in. I have now moved it 2 times. I purchased the Hammer coral Thursday and it has been increasingly going downhill since the very first night when it was completely open. The coral now appears to have 2 dead heads and the other 4 are hurting. But when I pop the lights on in the room or use a flashlight I see one shrimp picking at the coral. Cant tellk if he is cleaning dead matter or eating at it. Any absolute signs I can tell. They both seem to have a white spot on them by their heads. If this is a Camelback how do I trap em to get em out?

02/08/2010, 10:04 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I suspect that the shrimp is eating the coral. Can you post a picture of it? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/09/2010, 03:54 PM	#10
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Catching animals can be a challenge. My cleaners were easy to catch because they would eat out of my hand. You could try baiting a trap, I guess. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/08/2010, 10:14 PM	#4
BayAreaBigMac Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 21	You may want to cut the bottom off a clear platic bottle, poke multiple small holes in it and use it to cover your coral. Typically, a cleaner shrimp will clean right out in front of god and everybody. Not hide untill after lights out to do the deed. They often setup cleaning stations for regular visitors to come by to get cleaned. Do they go for your hand when you clean the tank? All these are typical cleaner behavior. I cannot comment on the camel

02/09/2010, 08:39 AM	#5
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	They do act very strange I cannot tell if its eating the coral or not and no Bertoni I wish i could snap a pic but by the time i get close enough the shrimp take off and hide. It puzzles me because the first night the hammer opened up beautifully and after lights out that first night it has looked terrible!

02/09/2010, 09:38 AM	#6
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	Some peppermints will devour hammer's and frogspawn - most camels will. I agree though, that a cleaner shouldn't pose much of a problem. It may be a good idea to pick one or the other (coral or shrimp) and remove one of them. If not an option, you could try spot feeding the shrimp daily to see if it's just hungry...

02/09/2010, 09:44 AM	#7
costellow Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 231	I was told Camel shrimp are not reef safe.

02/09/2010, 09:50 AM	#8
TNTFISHY Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 250	My hammer will, once in a blue moon, retract for a day or two. Then it'll open up an be fine.

02/09/2010, 03:16 PM	#9
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	does anyone know the best way to remove these shrimp? I am open to any ideas!