| We frequently get asked which is better in a reef | | | | do their job well. |
| tank-cleaner shrimp or cleaner fishes? The debate | | | | Cleaner Shrimp - Spotty Efficiency but a Sustainable |
| rages between cleaner wrasses and scarlet cleaner | | | | Aquarium Animal |
| shrimp. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, | | | | A single scarlet cleaner shrimp can be placed into a |
| and I want to take a moment this week to outline | | | | smaller tank, or multiple cleaner shrimp can inhabit a |
| each. | | | | larger tank. It is advisable to have only one cleaner |
| Cleaner Wrasses - An Efficient but Overall Poor | | | | shrimp per 75 gallons or so to avoid territorial |
| Choice | | | | aggression. Unlike the cleaner wrasse, cleaner shrimp |
| The advantage of the cleaner wrasse is it will | | | | will eat just about anything. This is a huge advantage |
| typically approach and clean larger fish that might | | | | over the wrasse, since, after the fish are clean, the |
| intimidate smaller cleaner shrimp. The wrasses seem | | | | shrimp will find other food to eat. This can also be a |
| to also do a better job overall of keeping up with | | | | disadvantage; however, for once the shrimp get |
| fishes need to be cleaned, You will observe them | | | | used to having food come to them in the form of |
| constantly darting from fish to fish and even getting | | | | prepared foods, they tend to get lazy and refuse to |
| into the gills of the larger animals. The big drawback is | | | | clean fish anymore. |
| that after all of the fish are clean, one of two things | | | | And the Verdict? |
| happens. Either the wrasse becomes such a nuisance, | | | | All in all, I think the winner is the cleaner shrimp if for |
| cleaning fish that don't need it, that the bigger fish will | | | | no other reason than the fact that they will live quite |
| start chasing the wrasse away and possibly doing | | | | well in an invertebrate tank even if they have no |
| harm to the little cleaner, OR the wrasse will starve | | | | parasite to eat. They perform a practical function as |
| to death. The only cleaner wrasse we have seen | | | | well... |
| that can readily be trained to accept prepared foods | | | | ...and they look cool to boot! |
| are the ones from Africa. The rest will perish if they | | | | |