Sizing cleaning shrimps

[Joseph_Joe]

Hi all,

I would like to reinject some shrimps to my tank. It is a new 50g tank, cycled with an established CUC, a BTA, and 5 fishes (Chromis & Chrysiptera).
When I setlled my CUC 2 months ago, it included 3 shrimps. 1 died in few minutes due to the trip, the 2 others were found dead 1 month later (1 week difference between each), before having fishes and I suspect either the crabs or my nitrite that was still high around 0.8-1 ppm.
I see that such shrimps usually hide upside down underneath my flat rocks or stuck to my mangrove pods but when the night comes, they crawl on the sand bed looking for detritus. I think they are weaker that moment as I have 5 hermit crabs in the sand.
My current fishes are 1.5" long and my previous shrimps were the same.

So what should I do?

- Take shrimps that are bigger to avoid being eaten
- Take shrimps that are smaller so they are adapted to clean the fishes. Are even damselfishes willing to be cleaned by shrimps ?
- Avoid shrimps when hermit crabs are in a tank.

Thanks in advance.

 

[exnisstech]

I keep hermits, chromis and damsels and have never had any of them bother shrimp. I keep peppermint shrimp, cleaner, blood red fire and coral banded shrimp. If your shrimp are dying I doubt it's your live stock. Hermits are most likely cleaning up the remains.

 

[Joseph_Joe]

I keep hermits, chromis and damsels and have never had any of them bother shrimp. I keep peppermint shrimp, cleaner, blood red fire and coral banded shrimp. If your shrimp are dying I doubt it's your live stock. Hermits are most likely cleaning up the remains.

Good, I was suspecting crabs or nitrite.
If so, are your shrimps bigger or smaller compared to damselfishes ?

 

[exnisstech]

Most shrimp were smaller than the damsels when introduced. I've kept damsels, chromis and shrimp together since I started the hobby over 8 years ago and have never seen the fish bother any shrimp. There are always exceptions tho but I suspect something else is causing the deaths. I would post your tank parameters and perhaps someone can see something out of line. Nitrite is typically not a concern in saltwater tanks.