![]() Commensal Emperor Shrimp ( Periclimenes imperator ) And devise a way to ship them without stress. Maybe someday will come when someone discovers more about their biology. So jumping to the conclusion that you could import BOTH isn’t a guarantee.įor the time being, Coleman shrimp will remain a beautiful species that aquarists will admire – from afar. They’re too small.Īlso, while everyone theorizes the crustaceans feed on the urchin test, no one’s observed the behavior. No one’s figured out how to collect Coleman shrimp. Without their trusty fire urchins, they don’t stand a chance of survival. While gorgeous (scuba divers treasure pictures), don’t rush out to add these saltwater shrimp to your reef tank. The fire urchin provides defense for the pair in the form of a venomous sting – NO ONE wants to encounter. In a perfect example of symbiosis, Coleman shrimp remove algae, plankton, and debris from their urchin’s test (the shell). Then they match their striped patterns to blend perfectly with their hosts: the fire urchin ( Asthenosoma varium). While always found in pairs, these striped invertebrates start with impossibly tiny sizes. Coleman Shrimp (Periclimenes colemani)Ĭatching a glimpse of a Coleman shrimp gets exceptionally tricky. If you KNOW you have a mated pair, you can keep them together, but don’t go for a group. Unfortunately, banded shrimp have ZERO tolerance for one another. These crustaceans make for natural pest control if you’re battling a bristle worm infestation. Unhappily, more aggressive members tend to attack sleeping fish.Īquarists love banded shrimp for their unparalleled bristle worm hunting skills. If fish approach, they’ll oblige in cleaning. The striking red and white patterns across their carapaces stand out in reef tanks, making them popular choices with aquarists of all levels.Īnother nocturnal member of the saltwater shrimp group, they roam the tank after dark for uneaten food and meaty leftovers. Boxer Banded Shrimp/Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus)īoxer banded shrimp are also known as banded coral shrimp. You CAN add them to reef tanks, but keep an eye on them with your corals, just in case they get “snippy.”Ģ. They have a habit of using their claws to pick at both LPS (large polyp stony) and SPS (soft polyp stony) corals. Watch any other shrimp in the tank, even with an aquarium of 55 gallons (208 l). You need to watch going into higher numbers as they’re VERY territorial. Once fish catch on to the service, it doesn’t take long for “cleaning stations” to open up on rocks or coral outcroppings.įire shrimp do well on their own, though they will form mated pairs. They remove parasites, dead tissue, and other skin irritants from the fish’s gills and scales. They venture out at night and use their white antenna as a signal to fish that their cleaning operation is open for business. White dots break up the sides, and you’ll find white front legs and white antenna.įire shrimp prefer the nocturnal life, hanging upside down under ledges or in caves during the day. As you can guess from their name, they have vibrant red color on their bodies. Blood Red Fire Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)īlood red fire shrimp come from the Lysmata genus of cleaner shrimp. If you have larger fish in your tank, we recommend keeping them in an acclimation box for a time.1. These shrimp are most active at night, so it's normal that you won't see them during the day. After acclimation, it helps to introduce them to the tank when the lights are off, and do try to place them gently in the safety of the rock work rather than introducing them to the empty water column. They tend to grow very quickly when introduced to the home aquarium. ![]() Since these shrimp are short-lived, knowing you're getting a young shrimp that will work hard for its full lifespan is another benefit of aquacultured shrimp. They work incredibly well at cleaning up our Aiptasia and we're sure they'll help you out in your tank, too.Īquacultured shrimp tend to be on the smaller side at sale size than wild caught shrimp, but the trade off is that they're hardier and better suited to aquarium life. We feed our peppermint shrimp a mix of pellet food and rocks covered in Aiptasia. The peppermint shrimp is an extremely popular reef tank pet because it naturally eats the ubiquitous nuisance pest Aiptasia anemones in the aquarium. Lysmata wurdemanni - The Biota captive bred true peppermint shrimp from Caribbean broodstock is a great detritivore for your clean up crew that will eat leftover food and detritus. ![]()
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