Shrimp coral only tank, if you have time to respond

[Ghostyboythedog]

FWIW, I do not believe there is any evidence shrimp need iodine in the water to molt. I’d just feed the shrimp and if nutrients get too low for corals, you may want to dose N and P in some fashion.

How often do they eat?

 

[VintageReefer]

Lps and shrimp don’t go great together tbh. You have to supervise every coral feeding because the shrimp will literally reach into lps closed mouth and rip food out.

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

Lps and shrimp don’t go great together tbh. You have to supervise every coral feeding because the shrimp will literally reach into lps closed mouth and rip food out.

Okay, I can do more soft coral also

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

Okay, I can do more soft coral also

Only one lps in there

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

Skunk cleaner shrimp will eat almost anything they can get their claws on... flakes, pellets, dead tissue, anything really. They will not eat coral in my experience, so that's good. However, Cleaner shimp (and any shrimp, really) WILL steal food from your corals if you target feed your corals. I mitigate this by target feeding my shrimp a small piece of raw shrimp (see? cannibals!) so they leave my corals and nems alone until they're able to swallow the food.

How often would you have to feed them?

 

[TX_REEF]

How often would you have to feed them?

I'd feed them daily if you don't have fish. My shrimp eat whatever the fish don't, and otherwise I target feed them whenever I feed the anemones which is 1-2x a week. These pellets will do the trick: https://amzn.to/4bqJ7pT These pellets are called algae wafers but they do include fish meal and plenty of protein. Break them up into smaller pieces, a whole wafer is too much for one shrimp. You can also feed them bits of raw seafood. I use long tweezers and they grab it from me directly.

 

[joseph.timbs]

You could make a pretty cool tank with different shrimp species, my favorite is coral banded.. btw water changes aren’t so bad, it’s the best way to keep a tank instead of messing with dosing this and that, iodine, etc.. a 20 gallon, just do 5-10 gallons once a month with RO water (if you don’t make your own, wal-mart sells it) and there’s no reason you can’t keep a few fish if you do them once a month .. I have a 40 breeder full of coral and fish, I do dose because I keep acros but I do 8 gallons each Sunday and it makes it much easier, I personally have two ten gallon tubs, I fill and mix the salt, use cheap heater to match temps and check salt level with cheap refractometer, I pump the same amount out in the second tub, put new water in and done, and many masters just use cheap reef crystals that is really cheap, especially on a once or twice a month regiment .. anyways, good luck with your tank whatever you decide.

 

[NanoNana]

If you just target feed the shrimp with a little mysis or pellet food once a day, they will be fine. Nutrimar Complete pellets sink to the sand. My fire shrimp eats them like crazy. I do water changes about monthly and dose nothing. That things molts at least monthly. I probably over feed.

 

[Ghostyboythedog]

Yep, there’s an endless supply of people making the claim, but never once has anyone shown data supporting it. Isn’t it odd that folks who raise shrimp by aquaculture commercially have never “discovered” this need reefers swear by?

Hey, I have had the shrimp for about 4 weeks. He/she has nolted twice. And I have not used any iodine water, or done any water changes. I've relied on the HEAVY amount of dragons breath (macroalgea)