The Elusive Cleaner Shrimp....

[Zibba]

I gave up trying to catch the little dude when starting my treatment for red bugs. Anyone have some suggestions while he may still have a chance? My attempts at trapping him and luring him out with food were met with failure.

[Flounder]

Does your little friend greet you when you place your hand in the tank. Mine comes over and cleans me right up.

[hypertech]

You're going to laugh ......

Take a dark red Lexis Nexis water bottle. Tie a string to the neck. Put a cube of formula one inside. Shrimp runs in, pull it out with the string.

This is how I caught my peppermint shrimp and emerald crab and both ran in in less than 10 minutes. A clear water bottle doesn't work - they seem to know something is up. Dark or opaque work better.

[Zibba]

You're going to laugh ......

Take a dark red Lexis Nexis water bottle.



hmm...I just so happen to have one of those on hand! I'll report back. I don't have any formula one - but I'll try my previous method with this bottle instead.

Thanks!



btw...mine never comes to clean my hand when I'm messing around in the tank.

[hypertech]

I use the formula one because it has this gel stuff in it so the cube stay put. Basically - you just want the bait to stay in the trap.

[Zibba]

the new trap is set...now I wait!

I just used some frozen mysis - which is staying put in the bottom of the bottle

[jon_56048]

Good luck with the little guy

[Tifosi]

My cleaner doesn't leave me alone when I'm messing in the tank. I almost have to push him off when I take my hand out.

A week or so ago when trying to catch my pseudo chromis, he was in the pop bottle (clear) every morning full and happy from the mysis.

[Zibba]

I couldn't catch him. Finished up the first round of treatment and just did a 25 gallon water change. He seems to be fine. I'm definitely going to try to remove him to my temporary 10 gallon set up if I can catch him. I guess I'll try again tomorrow.

[Tifosi]

Are you using flatworm exit? Depending on how bad your infestation was and how many you got out as they died, he should be fine.

Best of luck.

Nevermind, just looked up red bugs and I have no clue about treating for red bugs. What are you using?

[Zibba]

No, I'm treating for red bugs using interceptor.

[wes]

I've always used a plastic coke bottle with the top cut off and inverted. Also you can cut the bottom off and attach a plastic bag to the bottom with a rubber band. then you have a super easy way to transfer anything you catch. I also cut a little hole for airline tubing in mine so I could syringe in foodstuffs bit by bit.

[hypertech]

You want me to bring you some of that formula one? I think it works for me because I don't use it for food. Its different and that makes them hungry.

[Zibba]

Unfortunate update:

I tried nearly 10 times to catch the shrimp using all of your methods, including using different food supplied by hypertech. The only thing I caught was my PBT... :(

The shrimp had done fine through the first two interceptor treatments, and my previous attempts to catch him had me discouraged, so I went ahead and dosed anyway. This morning before school I dosed the tank with the final red bug/interceptor treatment. When I got back about 4 hours into the treatment, the shrimp was lying on the sand bed, barely moving. I was able to reach in and grab him out with my hand this time. I transfered him to my hospital set up that is housing the only two hermits that were previously in the main display (they had been removed to the hospital tank at the start of the three week treatment). He wasn't looking so hot, but I figured this was really his only chance.

An hour later, he was on his side in the hospital tank. Two hours later, he was dead. The hermits got their final meal before going back into the main display...

I'm bummed out that he didn't make it...but the fact that I'm red bug free makes up for it. I'll be doing my final water change of this treatment tomorrow, then I'll be looking at picking up a replacement ASAP.


Just thought I would update - I know it's only a shrimp...but cleaners are damn cool shrimp! RIP dude.

[hypertech]

That a bummer. I've been talking to Ed at OD - he says they've got a lot of them and will make sure they have them in stock for the meeting too.

[RogersCG]

Sorry to hear that Eric...

[Zibba]

I'll probably pick one up there this weekend. I still have that 20% off coupon from the speaker event to use up!

[wes]

bummer dude. here's hopin they don't come back right after you buy a new shrimp. :mad_3:

[Zibba]

Hopefully that isn't the case. This treatment has shown some great success with others who have used it and continued safe qt/dipping practices.

It's kinda sad. My three fish that regularly get cleaned by the shrimp keep hanging out by the rock ledge where he normally resides...