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Little Shop of Coral

Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata grabhami)

Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata grabhami)

$50.00 CAD
$50.00 CAD
Sale Sold out
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The Cleaner Shrimp is one of the most useful and entertaining reef inverts you can add. Known for setting up a “cleaning station,” it will often pick at parasites and dead tissue from fish that choose to visit, and it is always active around feeding time. With its bold red and white striping and long white antennae, it adds movement, color, and real behaviour to reef tanks.

Why we love it

  • Classic cleaning station behaviour with fish interaction

  • Great scavenger that helps clean up leftover food

  • Bright red and white coloration that stands out in the reef

  • Peaceful and reef safe in most community systems

Care and Compatibility

Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Safe: Yes
Diet: Omnivore (scavenger)
Adult Size: ~2 to 3"
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons recommended (larger is ideal)

Ideal Parameters

  • Temperature: 24 to 26 C (75 to 79 F)

  • Salinity: 1.024 to 1.026

  • Stable alkalinity and calcium support healthy molts

Feeding

Cleaner shrimp are easy to feed and usually thrive in established tanks.

  • Leftover fish food and frozen food scraps

  • Small sinking pellets for inverts

  • Tiny meaty foods like mysis or finely chopped seafood
    Occasional target feeding helps ensure it gets enough food in busy tanks.

Tank and Setup Notes

  • Provide rockwork and caves so it can retreat, especially after molting

  • Stable salinity is important, shrimp do not tolerate quick swings well

  • Use powerhead and overflow guards when possible, especially in smaller tanks

  • Regular water changes usually provide sufficient trace elements in most reef systems

Compatibility Tips

  • Safe with corals and most reef inverts

  • Avoid predators like hawkfish, triggers, puffers, lionfish, and many larger wrasses

  • Can be stressed by very aggressive fish or constant harassment

  • Multiple cleaner shrimp can work in larger tanks if there are enough hiding spots

Acclimation and Health

Drip acclimation is strongly recommended. Shrimp are sensitive to rapid changes in salinity and temperature. After introduction, it is normal for it to hide more around molting, make sure it has a secure place to retreat.

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LIGHT

LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.

MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height. 

HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.

FLOW

LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.

MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.

HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.

SKILL

ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.

While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.

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