[spbaden]

I am setting up a 55g and i am putting a large(probaly about 2.5 to 3 inches) cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis). I really wanted to add 2 Auriga butterflys(Chaetodon auriga). The guy at the fish store said that they should be fine but many websites say that it my be a risk. I also want hermit crabs or any sort of algea eating,tank cleaning crustation. Will it be fine or will my shrip be eaten, or nipped at?

[Ninong]

Hi spbaden, welcome to Reefland!

I don't know if Chaetodon auriga will eat adult Lysmata amboinensis in captivity or not but it might. Here is what Robert Fenner has to say about them: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/auriga.htm

I notice that you are adding these to a 55-gal aquarium. That is much smaller than the minimum size tank recommended for this species and could result in problems for you. Scott Michael recommends a minimum of 100 gallons.

As far as feeding is concerned, they are reported to accept a wide variety of foods in captivity. Their natural diet consists of filamentous algae, soft corals, polychaete worms, anemones and hard corals. They will also eat hydroids, peanut worms, nematode worms, mollusc eggs, amphipods, small shrimp, sea cucumber tentacles, sea urchin podia and tunicates. They are benthic omnivores.

According to Scott Michael, they are very aggressive with conspecifics and any fish with a similar appearance, which makes it tricky to keep more than one in the same tank, and that's assuming the tank is of adequate size to begin with.