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Cleanup Crew

Choose the right workers for the job: algae grazers, leftover-food scavengers and sand-surface feeders have different needs.

Useful: a practical addition when properly fed. Caution: specialist care or compatibility risks. Start small and add only what your reef can sustain; cleanup animals recycle waste rather than exporting nutrients. Maintain filtration and routine cleaning.

Adult sizes are approximate: snail sizes describe shells, crab sizes state the measurement used, and star sizes include arms. Confirm the supplier’s species, acclimate to matched conditions and quarantine appropriately; do not use coral dips on cleanup animals.

Written by Christian, Signature FragsLast reviewed: 13 October 2026

Crabs & shrimp

All cleanup crew

Emerald crab

Caution

Mithraculus sculptus

Useful algae grazer; opportunistic feeding prevents a blanket reef-safe promise.

Quick ID: Green, relatively flattened crab with hairy legs and broad spoon-like claw tips.
Typical adult size: About 4–6 cm carapace width; legs extend further.
Useful work: Grazes algae and may eat bubble algae, particularly accessible small bubbles.
Feeding & care: Offer algae-based foods and occasional meaty food; remove any individual observed damaging livestock.
Best fit: Established reefs with algae and accessible rockwork; monitor rather than treating as guaranteed pest control.

Watch out for: Some ignore bubble algae or pick at coral, snails or small animals. Risk rises with size and inadequate food.

Research sources

Fishkeeper: emerald crab husbandry
Photograph is a reference example; the traded culture or species may differ.

Skunk cleaner shrimp

Useful

Lysmata amboinensis

A useful scavenger and fish cleaner, not an algae-control animal.

Quick ID: Red-and-yellow body with a white stripe along the back and very long white antennae.
Typical adult size: Around 5–6 cm body length; antennae add substantial reach.
Useful work: Collects food scraps and may clean consenting fish.
Feeding & care: Feed small meaty marine foods and protect newly moulted shrimp from predators; distract when feeding corals.
Best fit: Community reefs wanting a visible scavenger.

Watch out for: Can steal food from LPS corals. Cleaning behaviour cannot replace disease diagnosis or treatment.

Research sources

Species care and feeding reference

Peppermint shrimp

Caution

Lysmata boggessi and related traded Lysmata

Correct species matters; Aiptasia consumption is variable.

Quick ID: Translucent body with red longitudinal markings. Similar striped shrimp can have very different diets.
Typical adult size: Usually around 3–5 cm body length, depending on species.
Useful work: Scavenges food; correctly identified L. boggessi may consume small Aiptasia.
Feeding & care: Buy a supplier-identified species, feed normally and monitor corals; do not deliberately starve it into pest control.
Best fit: An observed specialist helper alongside wider Aiptasia management.

Watch out for: May steal coral food or pick at vulnerable tissue. Camel shrimp are different; red stripes alone do not confirm a suitable species.

Research sources

Species care and feeding reference

Blood red / fire shrimp

Caution

Lysmata debelius

A colourful scavenger and occasional fish cleaner; monitor coral interactions.

Quick ID: Deep red body with white spots and long white antennae. Also sold as blood or scarlet cleaner shrimp.
Typical adult size: About 5 cm body length; antennae extend much further.
Useful work: Scavenges small food scraps and may clean fish; does not control nuisance algae.
Feeding & care: Offer small marine foods regularly, provide shaded rock crevices and protect it during moulting. Distract it when feeding corals.
Best fit: Mature reefs with shelter and compatible fish; observe each individual's behaviour.

Watch out for: Some individuals pick at small polyps or steal coral food. Cleaning behaviour cannot replace disease treatment; predatory fish may eat it.

Research sources

Fishkeeper — fire shrimp care and coral compatibility

Camelback shrimp with red and white bands and hinged rostrum — Rhynchocinetes durbanensis: the red-and-white camelback shrimp, distinct from peppermint shrimp.

Camelback / dancing shrimp

Avoid

Rhynchocinetes spp.; R. durbanensis photograph

Avoid as cleanup crew in a coral reef: it can eat coral polyps.

Quick ID: Red-and-white geometric bands, large eyes, a humped back and a pronounced hinged, upward-pointing rostrum.
Typical adult size: Around 4–5 cm body length, depending on species; antennae extend further.
Useful work: Scavenges leftover foods in suitable non-reef aquariums.
Feeding & care: Keep in a suitable non-reef setup with caves, compatible companions and varied marine foods. Feeding cannot guarantee coral safety.
Best fit: Fish-only or carefully planned non-reef aquariums; included here to prevent a mistaken reef purchase.

Watch out for: May eat zoanthids, star polyps and other coral tissue. It is not a peppermint shrimp and is not a reliable Aiptasia-control purchase.

Research sources