CBB and CBS, beh.    2/15/10
Hello WWM Crew,
<Ryan... let's skip the acronyms>
I have searched your site and the internet for hours and have not found an answer to my question.
I purchased a Copper Banded Butterfly (CBB) from my Local Fish Store (LFS) last night and after 2 hours of acclimation with the tank lights off and only a floor lamp on to provide some nighttime light (as I do not have my
lunar LED's set up yet), my CBB swam out of the bag and went directly into a large cave on the bottom of my tank that my Coral Banded Shrimp (CBS) inhabits.
<Mmm... better to quarantine or at least dip/bath new Chaetodontids>
The CBB swam up to the CBS "broad side" until he was almost touched my CBS's head. The CBS gently pushed the CBB away from him with his "boxer claws" and the CBB swam right back to him. This went on for about 8-10
minutes then the CBB swam off to another cave. Was the CBB confusing my CBS as a skunk cleaner, or was he trying to dominate the area?
<Stenopids are non-obligate cleaners>
The CBB found a nice big Aiptasia (one of many) and started rubbing on it like a clown does to their anemone they are hosting.
<Mmm>
After a couple of minutes of rubbing on it he took several bites of it an swam off. The LFS said to expect it to take several days, if not a week for the CBB to start feasting on all my annoying Aiptasia. Is this the normal behavior the exhibit prior to eating the Aiptasia?
<Not as far as I'm aware, no>
My third and final question: Is it normal for a Yellow Tang and the CBB to not get along?
<If there's room, yes>
My yellow tang nipped at the CBB's fins and tried chasing it to the other side of the tank. The CBB responded by ramming my yellow tang with it's beak. This morning when I woke up, my yellow tang was "puffed" up swimming
around my 120 trying to chase the CBB around. The CBB was still ramming my Yellow Tang every time he nipped at him. The yellow tang is about 4" long and the CBB is about 2.5" long. Should I be worried that this is going to
continue forever, or will they calm down after the "pecking order" is put in place?
<I would "float" the Zebrasoma in a plastic colander for a few days here>
My Yellow Tang has been calling my 120 home for 3 days. He was transferred from my 75 on Wed, so I would not think he has claimed his "territory" yet.
The 120 was purchased used from someone else, tore down and set back up at my house within the same day. I ran the 120 for 2 weeks with only live rock in it to do it's mini cycle from the move. I had my LFS do a water
test. Ammonia, Nitrates, and phosphates read undetectable. Nitrites registered at 5.
<Mmm, no>
Calcium was at 380 and PH was at 8.4.
After I moved my livestock, 1 Yellow Tang, 1 Lawnmower Blenny, 1 Scooter Dragonet, 2 mated green Clown Gobies, 2 O. Clowns, a sand sifting star, 1 Scarlet Skunk Cleaner, 1 Blood Red Shrimp, 4 Peppermints, and 4 blue/green Chromis, along with about 50 assorted snails and about 50 assorted hermits I had my water tested again. Nitrites were the only thing that registered, they we still at 5.
<... I suspect you mean NO3, Nitrates>
A 30 gallon water change is pending for tonight. I use IO Reef Crystals at 1.024 with the water temperature at 72 degrees.
Thanks for the help,
Ryan
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

The Case of the Vanishing Coral Banded Shrimp: 4/2/2009
<Hello>
I read on your page to expect the CBS to disappear for 1 to 2 days after molting.
<'Tis true.>
5 nights ago he was there, the next day he was gone and I haven't seen him since.
<Not out of the ordinary. I had a newly purchased cleaner shrimp vanish for two weeks.>
I have 4 peppermint shrimp an emerald crab along with a serpent star, turbo snails, and hermits living on the bottom. I have 1 tomato clown, a fox face low, and 3 damsels swimming around. I never saw any sign of a body or pieces.
<Hmm.... how large is this tank, and how much rock, etc?>
What do you think happened?
<Couple of options, it may just be hiding out for a while, only coming out at night. Or it may have died - With crabs and stars, any body is going to be eaten rather quickly. I would give it another week or so before I start worrying.>
<Mike>

Coral Banded Shrimp/Acclimation 1/29/08 Hey Guys; <And Gals> <Hello mystery writer.> Just wanted to let you guys now what a wonderful job you guys do, congratulations. <Thank you.> I have a problem or so I think, with my Coral Banded Shrimp. I bought the shrimp on Thursday, after been acclimated in a different tank I put him in the show tank were I have about 80 pounds of live rock. Now I can't find him? Its weird, the last time I saw him was the time I put him in the show tank and now it's been four days that I don't see him, he does not even come out to feed!! I also have a Yellow Tang, Clown Fish, Fire Fish Goby and urchin. Please let me know if you have a clue or if you think he still alive!! <Is not uncommon, putting the shrimp in water with different water parameters can/will cause the shrimp to molt. During this time the shrimp's exoskeleton is most vulnerable to would be predators and the shrimp will seclude itself until the exoskeleton hardens. Another less desirable factor would be a rock falling on the animal and crushing it. When kept singly, these animals are rather reclusive to begin with. Read here for more information on the Coral Banded Shrimp. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/shrimp/corlband.htm James (Salty Dog)>

Re: Coral Banded Shrimp/Acclimation, beh. f'  1/29/08 Well my name is Gilbert, <Hi Gilbert> sorry about that, well what do you think I should do? Should I move rocks around to look for him, it also doesn't seem like there has been movement on my live rock. <I would do nothing. Look into the tank during the lights out period. Will more than likely be out then if all is well. Thank you James. <You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>

Molting Madness  10/11/07 Greetings Crew, First I would like to just say thanks to you all for your time, patience, and advise <advice...> to us all. You guys truly are a godsend! <To me we are all our own gods> My question today is about molting. I have a single coral banded shrimp in my 30 gallon reef and he seems to molt approximately every two weeks. <Wow... good> That seems a bit excesses to me especially since he is already almost 3 inches long. I stopped adding iodine well over a month and three 20% water changes ago and still he molts. I added an anemone crab earlier this week for my BTA, and two days later he molted followed by the shrimp with in 24 hours. Does this seem odd? <Mmm, no> Is there something else that may be contributing high doses of iodine? I have been battling an algae outbreak mostly hair algae and red slime. Everything in the tank (including the non-calcareous algae:/ )seems to be flourishing. Ant help or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for all of your help Matt <I would not be concerned with this rate of molting... or the punctuated addition of iodine... the rate will slow with age, growth. The BGA is covered over and over on WWM. BobF>

Coral Banded Molting or Dying?  - 1/18/07 <Hey Jennifer, JustinN with you on this mighty chilly day!> Love this website...it is literally my Bible for saltwater!   <Thank you for this.> I need some help with my coral banded. She's been listless for a couple of days, not eating.  She twitches like she has Parkinson's. <Mmm, not good signs.> She's been trying to hide but the green crab keeps finding her.  Water param.s are good. <Actual numbers/data is much more helpful here, Jennifer, especially in this situation. Knowing what parameters you are testing for, what supplementation you are currently dosing and how often can help us determine where a potential deficiency or imbalance could be.> I have a 55 gal and I did a small water change the other day and added iodine on Sunday. Is she dying or molting? Is there anything I can do to help her (maybe separate her)? I did have a porcelain crab die yesterday but I think that was due to a low ph (which has been fixed). <Low pH fixed overnight? This alone could be your problem...> All other inverts are doing good. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!! Jennifer <Well, Jennifer, the loss of the porcelain crab and mentioning of the low pH readings are disconcerting, for sure... Not boding well, IMO. The way you describe it reads to me like a potential biomineral deficiency (or potential overabundance, as the case may be). If you're not testing for things such as alkalinity, calcium content, and iodine levels, these could be quickly indicative of your problems. Hope this helps! -JustinN>

Re: Coral Banded Molting or Dying?  - 1/18/07 Thanks for quick response! OK, I tested my ph last night and again first thing this am (before lights on) and it was at 8.3. Calcium has been at 340 which I've added SeaChem Calcium to increase it. Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, Phosphates all at 0. I don't have an iodine testing kit.. none to be found at any LFS.  I have been following directions to the letter..1 drop per 25 gal 1x per week, so I've added 2 drops (which is actually a little low).  She still is moving a little.  Should I try a water change or anything? Thanks! <The problem with following the directions to a T, is that they really don't tell you how to properly administer such supplements. If your tank is not consuming the iodine at the levels you are adding it, this could lead to problems, and is a side effect of blindly dosing when you are not testing for the result. Another item you should be testing for is alkalinity. If you performed a water change after the porcelain crab died, I would not jump too quickly to do another. Instead, try to get your hands on the tests I've mentioned. Online vendors can be helpful when you can't locate specific items, otherwise you could request a specific item from your LFS. -JustinN> Re: Coral Banded Molting or Dying?  - 1/18/07 Man, Justin.. you're fast! Many thanks! Alkalinity is 161.1 ppm KH. I'm going to call around and see if I can find an iodine test.  Thanks! <Excellent, Jennifer. That is a good reading for alkalinity. I wish you luck! -JustinN> Coral banded shrimp ?'s Hey Bob...I hope this finds you and yours doing exceedingly well.  <Yes my friend, thank you> Yesterday I removed all of my LR and livestock and built a platform of light diffusion grid/PVC to place my LR on. You see, I have a tomato clown that is a reincarnated excavator. Somewhere in the Bible it talks about the wise man building his house upon the rock, and the foolish man building his house upon the sand. My tomato clown proved to me that I am a bit foolish.  <Ah, important lessons learned> Well, during this move, a problem developed. When capturing my coral banded shrimp, it dropped both of it's claw arms. I say dropped because it wasn't caught in a net, or grabbed forcefully. Suddenly the arms were no longer part of the shrimp. The CBS seems fine, and is eating/scavenging. I seem to remember you mentioning previously that this shouldn't be a concern, and the arms will reappear after the next (or subsequent) molt. Is this usually so? <Yes... the animal likely "cast" its arms as a defense mechanism... useful in avoiding a predator or danger that isn't "worth holding onto"> I am really excited about the changes to the tank, and hope to see some benefits to the increased water flow to the sand bed. Now the LR is suspended about 1" above the sand, and water is able to free flow much better everywhere. I didn't realize that there were areas of accumulation of detritus around my LR formation. Now, that should not be a problem as any detritus will fall through the eggcrate, and the current keeps it moving. Also, I have a sand sifting star there that loves the extra surface area of sand to sift and stir. I also expect this to be an additional safe area for the proliferation of copepods/etc. since it is an area that the fish sort of stay away from. When doing the change, I also decided that it was a good time to frag the colt coral that I have. I divided it into three, and hope that it will go as well as it had before. Of course they looked horrible this morning, but I wouldn't feel well either if I'd been carved in thrice. Likely they'll be better appearing this evening. Lastly, with the stresses of the change, my Poma angel has a slight outbreak of ick. I'm not really concerned because the fish has had it before, and the cleaner shrimp always does a nice job. I've been thinking of adding an extra cleaner to this system. (55 gal with 1 tomato clown, 1 yellow tang, 1 small grey Poma, 1 CBS, 1 cleaner). Would you recommend the neon goby, or another shrimp. How about both?  <Worth trying> My cleaner shrimp is often carrying eggs, but has no mate. Thanks for your help. Jason <Be living my friend. Bob Fenner>

Coral Banded Shrimp Hello Everyone:         I would like to know if coral banded shrimp do any cleaning on fish? <Yes, they can, do in the wild and aquariums> I noticed today that when my Emperor angel (who is changing from juvie to adult currently) swam by, it started to clean around its face.  The angel let him poke at him for a few seconds and then left.  Was it picking on him, thought it was food, or was he attempting to clean? <Likely the latter, otherwise the Angel could/would have given the shrimp "the brush off". Please read here re Stenopus hispidus: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/shrimp/corlband.htm and the FAQs beyond. Bob Fenner>   Any help would be appreciated.         Thank you again for your assistance.                                    Regards,       Mendy                      

- Coral Banded Shrimp Minus One Claw - I just brought home a Coral Banded Shrimp today and accidentally tore off one of his main claws (detached completely from the body) while adjusting some plants in the aquarium.  The guy at the pet store told me it would regenerate.  How long will it take? <Will grow back in two to three molts - likely a couple of months.> I feel so awful! <No worries.> Ellen <Cheers, J -- >

CBS beh.   2/14/06 Hi Sorry to bother you guys again but I have run into another problem. I have a coral banded shrimp, medium size, and this morning he has not been able to move around. It was struggling to get to the other side of the tank and at one point was actually being thrown around by the current. <Not good> He appears very weak, will not respond or run when I tap on the glass (he usually does) and has not been eating lately( for the past few weeks.) I offer him flakes and refuses and he will go after formula 1 frozen food but my ravenous fish eat it all  before he can get any. Is he molting? is he sick or hungry? any advice will be appreciated! <... please see WWM re Stenopus Systems, Health... likely your water chemistry is off, or has changed too abruptly recently. Bob Fenner>

Re: CBS beh. Poor English, not reading  - 2/15/2006 I tested and all water param.s were good; amm= 0 nitrates were 5 and nitrites were0. The calcium was a little low, <...?> and all other inverts, including the soft coral was good. Ph was at 8.2 and sg at 1.022. <... too low...> Do you guys think it could have been from lack of food- he hasn't eaten in weeks- and he died this morning. But before he died he started loosing limbs- like one of his arms and antennas we on the floor of the tank. Fish and snails are fine. Any other theories? <Yes... that you didn't read where you were directed> thanks P.S. Is it normal for coral polyps to not fully open during their first week in a new tank ? some members of a brand new colony I got are not opened at all. Most are, but about 4 out of  an estimated 30 are closed for the past few days. All other inverts are ok. Thanks <Don't write... read. Bob Fenner>

Coral Banded Shrimp...Molting  6/5/06 I have a coral banded shrimp and he lost a claw. Will the claw regenerate? <Yes,  after the next molt or two.  James (Salty Dog)>                                            Thanks
<You're welcome.>
Monty