Can you have too many cleaner shrimps?

[Armando]

I'm thinking about 10. too many?

 

[skyedolphan]

which system?

 

[Piscevore]

that is quite a few!!

 

[Armando]

120g

 

[skyedolphan]

my 120 I have 2 blood and 2 cleaner along with a cleaner wrasse and 5 peppermint with no problem not sure about 10 though all same family?

 

[denvig]

I dont see a problem with it I think it would be nice. I love my cleaners (2) they are out all the time. I love the way they eat right out of my hand. I am also think of getting more. I also have one blood and two pepperment.

 

[~Flighty~]

pepermints will eat each other untill there are two won't they? I don't know if skunks do the same

 

[NateHanson]

pepermints will eat each other untill there are two won't they? I don't know if skunks do the same

I had three for a while and they didn't eat eachother. (Now I have two since I "freshwater dipped" my whole tank around new years.)

 

[CaptainK]

I do not mean to hijack this thread
But will cleaner shrimps destroy all of the worms and other beneficial inhabitants that keep our sandbeds clean?

Thanks,
CaptK

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I had (4) cleaner, 1 CBS, & 3-4 peppermint & never had a problem. The CBS was king, all others moved out of his way

 

[One Eye]

It shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure you know they eat whatever gets put in the tank so at that number they might take food away from corals and anenomes. Kind of over cleaning.

 

[nitrofish]

I have the original 4 pepermint shrimp I purchased last summer along with 1 coral banded. no losses yet. its a 180 gallon

 

[skyedolphan]

I dont think so Cindy I have the 5 and it is kinda funny cause at nite 3 hang out together and the other 2 stay with eachother it is always this way 3 and 2 never see them all together never see only 1 out always in 3 an d2

 

[Armando]

reason is - the cleaner shrimps are cool, they are out all the time AND they seem to live long in tanks. I'm tired of replacing dead emerald crabs and seeing peppermint and CBB shrimps disappearing 1 second after they're put in the tank.

 

[etszoo]

Have 2 peps and 2 cleaner (46 gal). Used to have 5 peps. Went down to 2 about a year ago. Both species seem to do well in pairs.

 

[~Flighty~]

I think the pepermint shrimp canabalism is said to take a while. Like with clowns doing fine as babies, but then reaching a point where they decide the tank is only big enough for two. It could also be a difference between types of pepermints. I know there are like 4 shrimps that all look similar that we call pepermints. some might do beter in groups than others. None of my rambling answeres the original Q though.

How are those tunzes?

 

[jango]

Armando will you have LPS in the tank? Do you feed your LPS?
IME my cleaners love to steal food from LPS. I don't think they bother the LPS much but they usuall don't get to eat with a bunch of shrimp around.

 

[Armando]

that's a good point jango, but that happens with emerald crabs as well