Cleaner shrimp ignoring fish?

[FishyReef]

My cleaner shrimp (skunk cleaners) used to readily jump up and clean a fish when the fish would go over for a visit, but I've been watching my tang repeatedly go right up to them and hang out just waiting for a cleaning and they are totally ignorning her. What gives?

 

[Northstar24]

Shrimp doesnt feel like cleaning the fish?

Maybe its on vacation

 

[FishyReef]

Shrimp doesnt feel like cleaning the fish?

Maybe its on vacation

Right? Crazy, huh. The poor tang has gone up to both of them multiple times over the last few days and they just kinda sway on their rock right in front of her and make no attempts to clean her. I don't know what to make of it!


Do you think if I got a third cleaner shrimp it would fight with the first two (who were added simultaneously and get along fine)? I don't really know much about inverts being territorial, etc.

 

[RockStacker]

The union memo made it to the skunk cleaner.

 

[FishyReef]

The union memo made it to the skunk cleaner.

ROFL! I should try to find a little plastic "strike" sign and glue it to their rock LOL

 

[RockStacker]

It is possible that the shrimp is simply just full.
Or maybe tired of a steady diet of parasites and in the mood for some other food.

 

[Kelz88]

Mine stopped cleaning my lionfish and it was curtains lol.

I spoiled him though by feeding him, found after i started feeding him with the fish he stopped cleaning.

 

[FishyReef]

They're still on strike today - poor tang! It could be that they are just full or spoiled - they are great little eaters of everything I put in the tank. I also wondered if they could be getting ready to molt and if they normally stop cleaning when they are prepping to molt (its been a few weeks since I last saw a molt in the tank). At this point I do think I am going to buy another one this weekend and hope it gets along with the others, and that my wrasse doesn't think its lunch. He's left the two existing ones alone, but I don't know what he'd do with a new addition. Anyone have experience adding a cleaner when you already have one or two established in the tank?

 

[Kelz88]

Does the wrasses go under when they sleep? (in the sand) If they do wait to add him untill they are both in their mucus bubble, with the lights off. How he will fare with the other two, i have no idea. Didnt think of molting, but that might be enough to make them want some space.

 

[MikeG]

Skunk clearner shrimp are very social, I don't think I would worry about the other shrimp, but +1 to Kelz, the adding it after lights out is a great idea.

 

[Bifferwine]

I guess mine have always been useless, out of all the skunk cleaners I ever had, I never saw one of them ever cleaning a fish.