information on boxer shrimp

[silentstorm]

my boxer shrimp molted last night, yay..
almost had a heart attack thinking i had twins, they're like two peas in a pod, identical.

[axonify]

Still got a shock when my shrimp molted, even though I was expecting it.

[brunobear]

I came across these at my local fish store recently and thought they had a certain appeal to them. How's the experience been for you guys in terms of keeping them? Are they generally aggressive towards other inverts?

I didn't bother asking the store staff about them, to be honest, after overhearing some questionable advice being given to a new marine tank owner - something about just floating a nem for 10 minutes before adding it to the tank. The person buying it had just asked if hermit crabs would clean the sand, so I'm guessing they were pretty new to all this. Anyway, the boxer shrimp did look pretty interesting, but I also got the impression they might see other inverts as potential prey.

[floral9]

Boxer shrimps are pretty cool, but they do come with some caveats. They're not exactly tolerant of triggers and wrasses, so keep that in mind. I'd recommend getting them as a true mated pair or on their own - they can be a bit feisty and fight if not paired correctly.

They do have a tendency to nip at corals or anemones, but that's mainly to feed on leftover food. So, if you've got nems or other cleaner shrimps, it's probably best to exercise caution. I was actually considering getting some myself, but my LFS advised against it since I keep nems and other inverts.

[zenoxa]

While they may attack smaller shrimp to establish dominance, this is largely limited to their own kind. Incompatibility with arrow crabs is a concern, but they rarely target other tankmates. The idea that they'd actively hunt hermit crabs just doesn't hold up - they lack the technique to take down these crustaceans.

If a coflake is being ripped open for food, I think that says more about the keeper's ability to provide adequate nutrition. These shrimps will feed on suspended matter above all else, so ensuring they're getting enough of this is crucial. Triggers and puffers are a different story, but they'll still prioritize feeding on suspended matter.

Regarding their intolerance to triggers and wrasses, this really depends on the species in question. I've found that coflake banded shrimps are quite capable of defending themselves - anyone who's been pinched by one while cleaning a tank can attest to this. I've kept one with three juvenile Gymnothorax morays for some time, and the morays left it alone. This was after they'd already taken out my hawkfish and mollies.

It's worth noting that pelagic triggerfishes wouldn't even think about attacking a Stenopus, and even the benthic triggers and large wrasses would struggle to do so. As known cleaners, Stenopus have an added layer of immunity. In my opinion, coflake banded shrimps should be considered relatively high on the compatibility rating.

[silentstorm]

haven't had any issues with mine either, he's always cliff hanging around the live rock, occasionally he'll climb over the nem but that's about it, I also have some feather duster worms and he leaves them be.