What Does a Cleaner Shrimp Eat? A Complete Guide to Their Unique Diet

Cleaner shrimp are fascinating creatures that play an important role in the ecosystem of saltwater aquariums. As their name suggests they help clean their tankmates by removing dead tissue parasites, and other debris. But what exactly does a cleaner shrimp eat to survive?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the unique dietary needs and feeding habits of cleaner shrimp.

An Overview of Cleaner Shrimp Diets

Cleaner shrimp are omnivores that feed on a variety of meaty foods in the wild Their natural diet consists primarily of

• Parasites – They pick off parasites like ich from fish scales and gills.

• Mucus – Fish mucus coats their mouthparts as they clean.

• Detritus – They scavenge on dead tissue and debris from fish.

• Plankton – They filter small organisms from the water column.

In captivity, cleaner shrimp are often harder to feed because they have more competition. Supplementary feeding is recommended. Good options include:

• Frozen foods: Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, cyclopeeze

• Pellets and flakes: Specially formulated for omnivores

• Small pieces of seafood: Shrimp, tilapia, mussel

• Live foods: Copepods, amphipods, isopods

Why Cleaner Shrimp are Hard to Feed in Captivity

Cleaner shrimp have a few disadvantages when it comes to feeding in aquarium settings:

Competition – Other faster, more aggressive fish and inverts often grab food first. This leaves little for the shrimp.

Small size – Their small mouths limit the size of food particles they can ingest. Many prepared foods are too large.

Wariness – Shy by nature, some cleaner shrimp won’t come out to eat until the coast is clear. This gives others a chance to eat their share.

Nocturnal – Some species are more active at night and may miss daytime feeding opportunities.

For these reasons, many aquarists choose to supplementarily feed cleaner shrimp via target feeding. This involves using a pipette or turkey baster to place food right near the shrimp’s mouth. It takes patience but ensures they get adequate nutrition.

Best Foods for Cleaner Shrimp

Here are some of the top foods to offer your cleaner shrimp both indirectly via feeding the tank and directly via target feeding:

Frozen Foods

• Mysis shrimp – A staple food that provides excellent nutrition. Thaw in tank water and feed in small pieces.

• Brine shrimp – A convenient frozen food they’ll filter feed on. Rinse well before feeding.

• Cyclopeeze – An excellent supplemental food full of plankton and marine proteins.

• Rotifers – Small live organisms they can pick off one by one. Enrich with marine oils.

Dry Foods

• Micro pellets – Smaller pellets are easier for shrimp to ingest. Look for omnivore formulas.

• Crushed flake foods – Crush large flakes between fingers into a fine powder for the shrimp.

• Spirulina powder – Mix with water into a paste and feed via pipette.

• Seaweed powder – Helps provide fiber and marine vegetation.

Raw Foods

• Chopped seafood – Tiny bits of raw shrimp, mussel, clam, or table shrimp.

• Fish roe – Eggs from seafood like shrimp or lobster make a tasty treat.

• Blanched veggies – Occasional treats like zucchini or cucumber for fiber.

Live Foods

• Copepods – Small crustaceans they’ll pick off live rock and filter feed on.

• Amphipods – Detritus scavengers they can snatch out of the water column.

• Isopods – Larger cousins to copepods they’ll forage for in rocky crevices.

• Daphnia – Tiny freshwater organisms that provide protein and enrichment.

Feeding Frequency for Cleaner Shrimp

How often you feed your cleaner shrimp depends on a few factors:

• Number of shrimp – The more shrimp you have, the more often you need to feed.

• Other tankmates – With less competition, you may be able to feed less frequently.

• Food type – Foods like brine shrimp pass quickly, while pellets take longer to digest.

• Supplements used – Enriched live foods may satisfy shrimp longer than plain frozen options.

As a general guideline, aim to feed cleaner shrimp:

• 1-2 times per day for frozen or prepared foods
• 3-4 times per week for raw table foods
• Continuous access for biofilms, copepods and other microfauna

Pay attention to make sure all individuals are getting their share at feeding times. Supplement or adjust frequency if any shrimp seem underweight or lethargic.

Providing Proper Supplements

To keep cleaner shrimp healthy and vibrant, make sure to supplement their diet correctly:

• Marine oils – Essential fatty acids from oils like Selco or Omega One.

• Spirulina – Provides protein, antioxidants, and a natural blue color enhancer.

• Calcium – For exoskeleton growth and successful molting.

• Iodine – Helps shrimp properly metabolize food and molt.

• Vitamin mixes – An invert-specific blend ensures balanced nutrition.

Use marine oils and spirulina to enrich frozen or live foods. Soak dry foods in a vitamin mix prior to feeding. Have iodine and calcium on hand for molting support.

Signs of Malnutrition in Cleaner Shrimp

Keep an eye out for the following signs of malnutrition in your cleaner shrimp:

• Disinterest in food

• Loss of natural color vibrancy

• Lethargic movement and behavior

• Failure to thrive and grow

• Inability to successfully molt

• Extended hiding and loss of activity

If you notice any of these issues, focus on target feeding high quality foods like mysis shrimp, marine snow, or enriched brine. Supplement with additional vitamins and marine oils as well.

Unique Feeding Behaviors

Cleaner shrimp have some interesting and unusual feeding behaviors you may observe in your aquarium:

• Picking parasites off of fish during cleaning sessions

• Swimming upside down to filter feed from water surface

• Using antennae to sense and direct food particles

• Plucking food caught in corals or rocky crevices

• Scavenging on biofilms that develop on surfaces

• Displaying aggression toward each other at feeding time

• Hunting microfauna around live rock during darker hours

• Developing a hierarchy around prime feeding spots in the tank

Their opportunistic and generalist feeding habits make cleaner shrimp fascinating to observe. Be sure to provide a variety of food sources for them to utilize.

Breeding and Feeding Fry

Breeding cleaner shrimp and raising the larvae is extremely challenging. But for those who succeed, the fry benefit from specialized feeding. Good first foods include:

• Newly hatched brine shrimp nauplii

• Powdered spirulina

• Phytoplankton like marine snow

• Rotifers enriched with marine oils

• Finely crushed pellets or flakes

Get the fry off to a strong start by focusing on frequent small feedings of highly nutritious but tiny foods. Have live foods like brine shrimp and rotifers ready to go for when larvae develop.

Now you know all about the unique dietary needs and feeding habits of cleaner shrimp. Be sure to offer a varied diet with supplemental target feeding for the best results. Proper nutrition will lead to healthy shrimp that thrive and provide maximum cleaning benefits for your tank. Feed a mix of meaty and veggie foods, enriched with marine supplements. Then sit back and enjoy observing your shrimp dine on their smorgasbord of delicacies!