Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
The classic reef cleaning station — fish line up for its services.
The iconic cleaner shrimp, marked with a bold tan-to-red stripe down the back and long white antennae it waves to advertise. Sets up a cleaning station where tangs, wrasses, and even morays queue up for parasite removal. Hardy, long-lived, and one of the best inverts for any reef tank.
What it needs to thrive
- Lighting
- Any standard reef lighting — no special requirements.
- Flow
- Moderate reef flow with calm resting zones.
- Feeding
- Scavenger — mysis, brine, pellets, and flake; primary diet includes parasites picked from fish.
- Temperament
- Peaceful and reef safe with everything.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Ideal Tank Size
- 20 gallons and up, fully cycled.
- Water Parameters
- 76–80°F · salinity 1.024–1.026 SG · pH 8.1–8.4 · 0 ammonia / 0 nitrite · nitrate under 10 ppm
Rockwork with a favored perch near moderate flow; it will claim and defend a cleaning station.
Peaceful and reef safe. Will not bother corals, fish, or other inverts.
Quarantine, dip, and acclimation
Quarantine
Hold all new fish in a bare-bottom 10–20 gallon QT for a minimum of 4 weeks. Observe for flashing, clamped fins, white spots, or breathing changes. Treat preventatively with copper (1.75–2.5 ppm chelated) or tank-transfer method for ich, plus a praziquantel course for flukes. Invertebrates and corals skip QT but go through dip and observation instead.
Recommended coral dip
For every new coral: a 5–10 minute bath in your reef-safe dip of choice (Bayer Complete, CoralRx, or Reef Primer) following label dosage, followed by two clean saltwater rinses. Inspect plugs and bases for flatworms, pyramid snails, and eggs — remove or refrag onto clean plugs before placing in display.
Acclimation
Float sealed bags in your QT or display for 15 minutes to match temperature. Then drip acclimate at 2–4 drops per second for 45–60 minutes until volume has tripled. Net livestock into the tank — never pour shipping water in. Dim the lights for the first 24 hours to reduce stress.