Coral Banded Shrimp - Info Please

[RobHimself]

I'm very interested in one of these but I'm not sure on what they can/not be with. Anyone got some ideas on things they should not be with? Fish and inverts though. I don't have any corals so they are the least of my worries.

[SouthBayPhoto]

I believe this was just posted up on another thread in the "Saltwater" section. However, to my understanding from the thread, this is one of the most aggressive of the shrimp and they will go after fish (at least sleeping fish on/near the bottom of the tank) and other inverts, I do believe.

I'm sure others will chime in with better info for ya, but that's just what I read here recently.

[leebca]

I moved these posts into the Reef Aquariums Forum from the Saltwater (Fish-Only) Aquarium Forum in the hopes you'll get a wider response.

My experience with the beautiful shrimp is pretty much what SouthBayPhoto has mentioned. They are very territorial and aggressive. They are probably much better off in a reef tank where there are few or even no fishes. However, after writing this, I'm unsure if they might cause any concern with corals, anemones or other sessile invertebrates.

[FireEater]

I had one for years and it did great. Never bothered anything and went about it's business.

It grew quite large and people would comment on how big it was. Well one day it went postal and started killing Cleaner Shrimp and Peppermint Shrimp. I moved it to the sump and the killing stopped.

Mine never went after fish. It would throw up it's claws if a fish came to close to it. It also never bothered any inverts or corals.

The Gold ones are the least aggressive and do not get so big. The regular ones are a hit and miss though. It could do great for you and then again it could be a killer.

[Nikki]

I have a BioCube 14 (for the life of me I am not sure why the manufacturer decided to put the inches of the cube versus the gallons it will hold as the number ) and wanted a small shimp for it. My LFS sold me a coral banded shrimp, he is quite small and I was told he would not grow too large for the tank so I wonder if he is a miniature species or something (or my LFS wasn't truthful, that never happens! ).

Anyway, he has never been aggressive. I have him in the tank with two devil damsels, snails and hermits. At feeding time he is so shy I don't even know if he is eating enough so I feed him with a syringe every couple of days to be sure. He has not molted like the cleaner shrimp I have in my larger tank and I am not sure if he is supposed to?

Maybe it depends on the particular shrimp you buy. Maybe observe the one you want for a while in the store and then choose?

Good luck!

[ttony12588]

My coral banded is nasty. She preys on my hermit crabs. Last night she actually yanked one out of its shell and ate it. She is "curious" around corals and sometimes snips at my star polyps, but nothing major. Extremely hardy shrimp, full of personality, highly recommend. She hasnt preyed on my fish, but if they get too close she will snip them. If you can find a medium or small one, its cool to watch them molt and grow. Mines is three inches, very healthy and I've had her for a while.

[Ninong]

He has not molted like the cleaner shrimp I have in my larger tank and I am not sure if he is supposed to?

Yes, of course it will molt. That's the only way marine crustaceans can grow. I had to stick that adjective in there because I once posted the same statement without it and some smartypants pointed out that ants don't molt.

Coral banded shrimp do molt (and they're not really shrimp). And crabs molt, and lobsters molt, and shrimp molt, etc. They have exoskeletons (on the outside) and they have to shed their exoskeletons on a regular basis in order to be able to grow a little larger. A delicacy down here is fried or sauteed soft-shell crab.

[Nikki]

Ninong,

Had no idea it wasn't really a shrimp! I have done some research since reading your post and I am wondering what everyone thinks about the following items I found:

1. The iodine levels in the water must be correct to promote proper molting
2. Says he eats bristleworms which may be why I see them in my larger tank and not in the tank he is in?
3. I think I need to get a feeding stick because I don't think he is getting enough food. I am feeding frozen brine and the damsels get it all before it gets down to him. Does anyone have a good recommendation for a feeding stick, will it work with frozen brine?

Thanks!

[Ninong]

1. The iodine levels in the water must be correct to promote proper molting.

The "correct" iodine level would be the same as that in natural seawater = 0.06 ppm total iodine in all forms. If your tankwater's iodine level is too low, you may need to supplement it. Iodine in my tank always measured 0.06 ppm or above without ever adding any iodine. Excessive iodine is toxic, as is excessive strontium, so you want to be sure to measure your iodine levels before deciding to add more. My tank usually measured 0.20 ppm total iodine without ever having dosed iodine. There is a lot of iodine in many of the foods we feed. I discussed this iodine question with Wayne Shang and he informed me that he has never added iodine to any of his tanks. He has been keeping reef tanks for more than 20 years now. His previous 300-gal reef tank and his current 718-gal reef tank have been featured in many books and videos.

One of the ways that shrimp can be induced to molt prematurely is to add iodine to the water. The shrimp deposit this toxic substance in their exoskeleton and then shed the exoskeleton to get rid of it. Iodine at natural levels is a good and necessary thing for decapods just as it is for humans. That's why they sell iodized salt. Dr. Ron Shimek performed a study in which he had the water of 23 different hobbyists' reef tanks tested. He found that the iodine level in all 23 tanks was above natural seawater levels. Many of those hobbyists dosed iodine on a regular basis and some had never dosed it. Dr. Shimek also performed an analysis of the foods that we commonly feed our aquariums and discovered that there is quite a bit of iodine in most of the foods we feed.

The bottom line is that iodine is necessary at natural levels. It is not necessary at unnatural levels. You should not dose anything without testing first to determine if you really need to add some more. The same goes for strontium. NSW Sr = ~9 ppm. Strontium in excess is toxic for corals because it inhibits calcium deposition. Chemically strontium is very similar to calcium. We really don't know what its role is in coral growth, just that it shows up in the coral skeletons. Maybe it shows up simply because it's there? We do know that elevated strontium levels retard coral growth. This is not much different than what happens in humans. Elevated strontium in the blood results in deformed bones.

If you're going to add iodine or strontium, be sure you know what you're doing. Some of the so-called experts, including some I actually do admire, who recommend regular dosing of iodine and strontium, are also in the business of selling these additives. In general, you need to "add" something to maintain calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. There are various methods that can be employed to do that. In general, most people don't have to add anything else. Your mileage may vary.

2. Says he eats bristleworms which may be why I see them in my larger tank and not in the tank he is in?

Many of the animals we keep in our tanks eat polychaetes. There are several thousand different species of polychaetes. Stenopids may eat some polychaetes but I have no idea which ones.

Stenopids are also reported to eat hermit crabs and snails on occasion. It is difficult to predict what their feeding behavior will be in any particular captive environment because a lot depends on what food is available and how hungry they are.

3. I think I need to get a feeding stick because I don't think he is getting enough food. I am feeding frozen brine and the damsels get it all before it gets down to him. Does anyone have a good recommendation for a feeding stick, will it work with frozen brine?

Thanks!

Well, I guess you have to be the one to determine if your coral banded shrimp is getting enough to eat or not. They are carnivorous/omnivorous scavengers. Most people find that it is not necessary to target feed ornamental shrimp, sea stars, etc., because they usually find more than enough to eat on their own.

[Nikki]

As always a wealth of information Ninong! Many thanks :-) I have switched salt mixes, you may recall I had some trouble with a bad batch of IO, so I will wait for a couple more water changes before I start testing as we are in transition. I was just a little concerned because my cleaner shrimp in the other tank have all molted multiple times and this little guy doesn't appear to have molted at all. I will test when new water is predominant and then determine action :-)