My Fish Tanks

Scientific Name : Stenopus hispidus

Common Names : Banded Cleaner Shrimp, Banded Boxer Shrimp, Barber Pole Shrimp

Care Level : Easy, good invertebrate for saltwater beginners, use a slow drip acclimation to introduce to your tank.

Life span : 2 – 3 years, maybe longer

Size : Up to 2 inches (5 cm)

pH : 8.0 – 8.4

Temperature : 72°F – 80°F (24°C – 27°C)

Specific Gravity : 1.022 – 1.025

Carbonate Hardness (dKH) : 8 – 12°

Origin / Habitat : Indo-Pacific

Temperament / Behavior : Peaceful if not mixed with other shrimps, especially other banded coral shrimps. The exception to this rule is a mated pair of Banded Coral Shrimps.

Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : Difficult to breed them in the home aquarium because the larvae either gets eaten or sucked into the filtration system.

Tank Size : 30 gallon minimum

Compatible Tank Mates : Avoid keeping them in an aquarium with Lionfish, Snappers, Groupers, Triggers, Eels or any other predatory fish large enough to eat them. We would not recommend mixing them with other shrimps. You will probably see much better results keeping only one CBS in your tank.

Reef Tank Compatible? : If you have other shrimps in the tank, you might see some aggression from the banded coral shrimp. Others report that they have no problems with keeping this shrimp in a reef aquarium with other shrimps. They may steal food from anemones and corals.

Diet / Fish Food : Omnivore – try to give them a variety of foods. They will take vitamin enriched flake foods, frozen and definitely live foods. You may have to use a feeding stick to place the food directly in front of them so they don’t have to compete with the faster fish.

Tank Region : Bottom, often hides

Gender : The male is slightly smaller and the female has bluish colored ovaries that can usually be easily seen.

Gallery Photos : Coral Banded Shrimp Photos

The Coral Banded Shrimp is a very popular invertebrate that is kept in many marine aquariums. They are usually found in small crevices or hanging from live rock in the aquarium. Most of their time is spent in hiding and you won’t see them walking around very often. It is important to make sure they are getting their share of food around feeding time. This may mean that you have to use a feeding stick and place the food directly in front of them so they can grab it. It’s probably not a good choice for reef aquariums because they have a tendency to pinch at corals and anemones looking for food.

If your shrimp loses one of its arms or claws, don’t worry. They will regenerate it the next time they molt. Iodine supplements may need to be added to your tank water.

The Coral Banded Shrimp is usually lumped in with the other cleaner shrimps but this behavior is not often seen in the home aquarium. Many hobbyists have noted that they have never seen this shrimp clean fishes.

These shrimps are usually very hardy if they have been acclimated slowly. It’s recommended to acclimate them to your aquarium water over a period of an hour or more to avoid pH shock. Also, carefully read any medications before using them in a tank with invertebrates. Many fish medicines will kill your invertebrates.