Will Seahorse eat cleaner Shrimps? I saw this question on a social media group and I did some research and decided to answer this particular question in the ways I could. Seahorses are known to eat crustaceans like shrimps, so will they eat Cleaner shrimps if they are kept together in the same aquarium? Read to the end to get your answers.
Will Seahorse eat Cleaner Shrimp? Yes, Seahorses will eat any type of Shrimps, including Cleaner shrimps.
When I say they will eat cleaner shrimps, it doesn’t necessarily mean killing and eating adult cleaner Shrimps.
Seahorses are omnivores, meaning that they could eat many things, including other animals and plants, etc.
They are opportunist feeders and will likely feed on anything they could be able to kill or swallow, this includes smaller animals.
Although Cleaner Shrimps and Seahorses are good tank mates, sometimes a Seahorse could even be Stressed by a Cleaner Shrimp.
This is because they are fragile in nature and are easily stressed. But nevertheless, they could still eat cleaner Shrimp.
Being able to eat the shrimps doesn’t necessarily mean eating or swallowing the adult Cleaner Shrimps, No, they go for the larvae and the fry.
Naturally, they cannot swallow a big or adult shrimp, especially Cleaner Shrimp, so they resort to taking only the Shrimp’s larvae and the fry.
So keeping them with Seahorses could be beneficial because they will groom them, clean their tank by eating leftover foods, etc, and also provide them with foods via their larvae and fry.
Do Seahorses Eat Shrimp?
Seahorses eat crustaceans such as baby shrimps, baby crayfish, and baby crabs too. An adult Seahorses feed up to 30-40 times per day, while the baby Seahorses feed up to 3,000 times per day.
Shrimp is one of the favorite diets for this animal, especially Mysis shrimps.
So, they could eat baby shrimp and the Shrimp’s larvae.
Are Peppermint Shrimps Safe With Seahorses?
One of the best tank mates for seahorses is peppermint shrimps.
They get along very well with each other, so they are safe being with Seahorses.
Although they could neither harm the Seahorses nor the Seahorses could harm them, being an omnivore, seahorses are very likely to go for the shrimp’s larvae and fry.
So, when I say that peppermint shrimps are suitable tank mates for seahorses, I meant to say the adults.
Only adult peppermint shrimps are safe with seahorses, their fry is not because they will be picked by the seahorses.
