So what exactly do cleaner shrimp clean?

S

simontan

In perfect conditions, would a cleaner shrimp never be seen cleaning any of the fish in a tank, or do all fish need "cleaning" from time to time without necessarily being diseased?

THe reason I ask is I've had a cleaner shrimp in my tank for a couple of months and have never seen him actually "clean" a fish until I added a new fish earlier today. Is this necessarily a bad thing or something to be expected with any fish from time to time? I mean, is the "cleaning" action of the shrimp a real benefit or remedy, or is the fact that a fish needs cleaning an indicator of something bad going on with the fish and/or the tank?

No, I didn't quarantine the new fish, and I know a lot of folks here will be coming down on me for that, but the bottom line is I don't have a quarantine tank, and after going through the monster thread on the issue, I decided to take my chances on the new addition rather than setting up a quarantine tank just for this guy. So no flames, please, on this point. I'm just looking for information on what it means when you find your cleaner shrimp actually cleaning one or more of your fish.
 
They'll inspect any fish that allows it. The male anthias would park right next to my cleaner shrimp every day for a going-over.

Until m Longnose Hawkfish decided it would be a tasty treat, apparently. :roll:
 
On several occasions have found my fish parked next to the cleaner getting a work over. The cleaner will go over the body, inspect the gills and mouth area and the whole time the fish is as still as you will ever see it.

If I have my hand in the tank mine will swim over to it and try to prune my hair. One time I has a small scab on my hand, he found it and proceeded to try and pull it off. It was quite humorous watching him tug on it like a puppy tugs on a toy.
 
:D I love cleaner shrimp...they tickle when they give your arm or hand a good cleaning. They are my favorite invert. I had a big bossy one that would try to tackle the fish to give them a cleaning. They would swim by and he'd jump off the rock onto them. They didn't appreciate that approach very much. I think they will clean anybody that will let them whether they need it or not.
 
I have a pair of pink skumk clows that get cleaned daily...I don't think it is a sign of things going bad when the shrimp do their thing though, it's just what they do. Some fish are more receptive than others to the treatment.
 
i have 2 cleaners and a neon goby. The only one I ever see cleaning is the goby and only my scopas tang. I did see my cuviers tang get cleaned 1 time by my cleaner shrimp in the rock mass but they were buried really deep. My gsm hates the shrimp with a passion. I thought that maybe in a small tank they are more crowded and are more stand offish
 
My cleaner literally gets his cleaning long feelers into the Gills and mouth of my Bi Color Angel.

Some of the other fish wouldn't let him touch them.

He cleans parasites off of them, I believe that is what your question was.
 
My two cleaner shrimp will sit on the eel and clean it all day. The other fish want to get cleaned but they won't leave the eel. So I bought 4 small cleaner shrimp and dropped them on the opposite side of the tank. After a couple of days I found them on the eel. They clean inside his mouth too.
 
@Nicki wrote:
My two cleaner shrimp will sit on the eel and clean it all day. The other fish want to get cleaned but they won't leave the eel. So I bought 4 small cleaner shrimp and dropped them on the opposite side of the tank. After a couple of days I found them on the eel. They clean inside his mouth too. said:
haha, this is my story as well...my eel gets all the attention and no one else gets a thing...lol...

on the fish, i think they also clean off dead scales and such as well to try and answer your question, nothing bad when they do or dont do it really...
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