Keeping a Sexy Shrimp in a marine tank is one of the most unusual, gorgeous, and easy-to-care-for kinds of Shrimp that you can have in your aquarium. These charming little creatures have become known as Thor amboinensis, commonly known as the squat Shrimp or sexy Shrimp, a species of Shrimp found across the Indo-West Pacific and in parts of the Atlantic. Sexy Shrimp Other Inverts, the very small Sexy Shrimp can be found on coral reefs throughout the world, becoming famous for their eponymous dance moves.
There are many reasons to start a sexy shrimp tank. Learn about these charming, easy-to-feed inverts here.
With a name like “sexy shrimp,” how can you resist? We’ll go into all of the reasons you’ll want to consider these iconic crustaceans.
Table of Contents
Sexy Shrimp Facts & Overview
The ‘Sexy’ Shrimp (Thor amboinensis) reveals a stage of reputation withinside the aquarium interest that borders fanaticism. This is one of the maximum strange, lovely, and recognizable species of Shrimp that you could preserve in a marine tank.
The aggregate of amazing colors, cleansing capabilities, and close locations make them among one of the maximum favored decorative species of marine invertebrates.
While some aquarists agree that hit care of the Sexy Shrimp relies on anemones. Well, this isn’t always precisely so.
Even more, in a few cases (like breeding), it will likely be higher to maintain them far from any anemones. Anemones, of course, won reputation from people now no longer withinside the fish interest after the achievement of Finding Nemo.
The sexy Shrimp, like other little shrimps like Periclimenes, protects the hard-to-reach anemone while also appearing to provide a cleaning service, helping to keep the anemone clear of debris.
The Shrimp have been known to eat the anemone’s mucous and even its tentacle tips, but this appears to be a non-issue for the host, which can handle the degree of grazing.
Quick Facts about the Sexy Shrimp
- COLOR: Orange, White, Blue
- LIFESPAN: 3 Years
- CARE LEVEL: Easy
- SIZE: 8 Inches
- DIET: Carnivore
- FAMILY: Hippolytidae
- TANK SETUP: Saltwater and coral leaves
- MINIMUM TANK SIZE: 5 Gallons
- CARE LEVEL: Easy
- COMPATIBILITY: Peaceful and calm community
These tiny Shrimp, much less than an inch in length, are located throughout the globe, from the Eastern and Western Atlantic to the Indo-West Pacific to the Eastern Pacific.
They are citizens of the Bahamas, the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, the Philippines, Florida, and Ecuador, simply to call a small sample.
These enticing aquatic creatures have a way of stealing your heart right immediately, and the online aquarium community is buzzing with anecdotes of their charming personality, adorable appearances, and unusual dancing behavior, in which they raise and lower their belly in a dance-like motion.
Sexy Shrimp Appearance
The internet aquarium community is buzzing with stories about sexy shrimps’ lively personalities, adorable appearance, and unique dancing habits. They repeatedly raise and lower their bellies in what appears to be a dance.
Clownfish and Sexy Shrimp have a similar symbiotic connection with anemones. An anemone protects sexy Shrimp, and the anemone is kept clean by Sexy Shrimp.
With their orange hue and huge white spots that nearly appear 3-D due to the blue outline around them, these shrimps appear to be adorable.
They have prominent eyes, and their abdomens and tails point up in the direction of their heads. They’re also quite little, measuring just under an inch (about 2 cm) in length.
Differentiating between Males and Females
Even though all Sexy Shrimp begin their lives as males, they are protandric hermaphrodites who can change to females as they reach the conclusion of their lives (for instance, for reproduction.)
Female Sexy Shrimp are larger than male Sexy Shrimp because they can’t transform until they reach a particular size.
Furthermore, the female’s white stripe across the back is virtually always broken. Examining the abdomen is another approach to determine if you’re dealing with a male or female (not hard to do since they are dancing all the time.)
To accommodate the eggs she will carry, the female abdomen is wider.
Molting Process
Every 3 to 4 weeks, Sexy Shrimp go through a molting process. Don’t be alarmed if you wake up one morning to see what appears to be a dead Sexy Shrimp (they molt at night).
It’s possible that it’s the Sexy Shrimp’s discarded skin. Before you get too worried, check to see who is swimming and account for all of your Shrimp.
Habitat and Tank Conditions
The ‘Sexy’ Shrimp is a circumtropical parasitic species found in all tropical oceans on coral reefs at depths of at least 2 to 25 meters. They are commonly found in the tentacles of various sea anemones, where they live.
Thor amboinensis is occasionally found free in dead corals, small cracks in rocks, and biogenic gravels. Thor amboinensis can be found in the Red Sea, the Indo-Pacific, the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.
Located in the western Atlantic are the islands of the Bahamas, southern Florida, the Caribbean Sea, and Brazil. The eastern Atlantic is home to the islands of Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the Cape Verde Islands.
A number of nations located in the Indo-West Pacific region include Kenya and Madagascar as well as the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Islands as well as Australia’s Northern Territory (also known as Darwin).
For years, maintaining a successful marine Nano tank has become easier, and the endeavor has become a realistic prospect for almost all aquarists with a reasonable level of ability.
Many well-known manufacturers also provide systemized plug-and-play tanks, which are perfect for newcomers searching for an easy way into the hobby or experienced hobbyists looking for an extra system to keep on a desk or in a separate room from their primary technique.
Manufacturers have developed a range of equipment designed for Nano and even Pico systems, making small tanks easier to maintain and care for.
Hobbyists can now construct beautiful reefs capes as attractive and successful as large, traditional methods using small hang-on skimmers and Nano-sized yet fully coral lighting units.
Sexy Shrimp Diet
Some people consider sexy Shrimp to be cleaner Shrimp since they feed on the mucus of sea anemones (plus the occasional tentacle nibble).
They are not cleaner Shrimp, despite the fact that they are omnivores. You can’t expect them to survive by scavenging your tank. This is what causes shrimps to prey on corals.
Rather, you should supply supplementary foods. Commercial sinking pellets will suffice, but you’ll want to add some algae (nori will suffice) and protein to the mix.
When using these parameters, target-feeding with a pipette helps to prevent tank mates from grabbing the bounty:
- Clams, shredded
- Shrimp Mysis
Sexy Shrimp Breeding
Currently, almost all sexy shrimps on the market are obtained in the wild. They’re numerous and broad, and captive breeding isn’t a cost-effective alternative to rough sourcing, but don’t let that deter you—producing them doesn’t appear to be difficult.
The bulk of sexy Shrimp is captured in the wild. People haven’t hurried to set up captive breeding facilities because the species has a global range (and isn’t difficult to discover). Not to mention the fact that breeding this crustacean is time-consuming.
It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, but be sure you’re prepared to put in the effort. Protandric hermaphrodites are sexy Shrimp. This means that all Shrimp are born male and mature into females once they reach a suitable size (and with the right social cues).
As a result, females are larger – and wider – than males. They can carry the eggs because of the greater breadth. A “broken stripe” can also be seen on the back and tail.
When the shrimps start breeding, they are expected to generate 80-150 eggs every clutch. After the lights turned out, the eggs would hatch about an hour later.
Before hatching, the eggs would turn a dark brown color. The larvae were drawn to a small light source on the tank’s side, where they were siphoned off and moved to a breeding tank.
The breeding setup was a 5-gallon tank with no filtration, and a 60-watt bulb kept on for 14-16 hours each day. The larvae were fed vitamin-enriched newly hatched brine shrimp.
They would molt for another 20- 30 days in the breeding tank. They would descend to the bottom of the aquarium following their last molt, which might take many days.
Sexy Shrimp Care
The maximum risky time for Sexy Shrimp is while they’re acclimated. Changes in pH, temperature, and salinity are extraordinarily hard for sexy Shrimp to tolerate.
The great aspect you can do in your new Sexy Shrimp is to expose endurance simultaneously as acclimating them to their new tank.
Do not try to cram them into a new tank all at once. Slowly drain some of the water in the acclimatization tank and replace it with tank water every 15 minutes to acclimate them, which should take approximately an hour and 30 minutes (this process is called drip acclimation).
Remember that nitrite and nitrate levels tend to be more heavily concentrated in fewer gallons in smaller Pico and Nano tanks with smaller water. To maintain the water clean and safe, you’ll need to perform frequent water checks and tank changes.
Social Behavior
As previously stated, they flourish in tiny systems of 2 to 10 gallons with a live rock aquascape with all the regular nooks and crannies.
The shrimps will, however, most of the time be visible and will not hide. Most importantly, unlike some of their larger counterparts, such as blood shrimp, they are active during the day (Lysmata debelius).
Sexy Shrimp Tank Requirements
As measured by specific gravity, the salinity should be between 1.023 and 1.025.
The temperature should be kept between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit (22 and 28 degrees Celsius), with 75 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit (24 and 27 degrees Celsius) being ideal.
Many people feel that iodine plays a vital role in the molting process. As a result, employ an iodine addition as directed by the manufacturer.
The aquarium’s water’s calcium content, PH, and alkalinity must also be kept at suitable levels. Calcium concentrations should be kept between 400 and 450 ppm, but they can be slightly lower or higher.
The pH should be between 8.1 and 8.4, and the alkalinity should be between 7 and 12 dKH, though values vary.
Click here to read about crystal red shrimp.
Feeding ‘Sexy’ Shrimp
Sexy shrimps don’t require elaborate diets; they are omnivores by nature and will forage for meaty things in captivity, such as Mysis, shredded clam, and so on.
They’ll also eat nori, which is an algae-based food. You may need to specifically feed more active tankmates in a tank with more active tankmates. If you’re using a pipette, little pellets are especially handy.
Sexy Shrimp Lifespan
Even with those 3-D dots, divers and snorkelers will require a keen eye to notice them among the anemone’s tentacles. The Shrimp don’t stand out as much as you may expect.
At least, not to humans. In the wild, sexy Shrimp live for around 3.5 years on average, but they have been reported to live up to 5 years. Due to restricting factors such as tank environment, little is known about their predicted longevity in captivity.
They’re hard to overlook for other invertebrates and fish, though. It’s a good thing sexy shrimps are among the quickest crustaceans on the planet.
They have the ability to “sprint” for short distances at a rate of 4-6 inches per second (10-15 cm per second). Of course, this assumes that a predator isn’t deterred by their dance.
When you combine speed with natural camouflage (not to mention the protection provided by the sea anemone’s sting), sexy Shrimp can live in the wild for up to three years. In a confined space, the typical lifespan is closer to three years.
This is mainly due to a lack of management. However, if you’re the best in your field, you might live longer.
‘Sexy’ Shrimp and Suitable Tankmates
Certain fishes, such as predatory wrasses, dottybacks, basslets, groupers, and some large angels, will always be perfect snack-sized protein for small ornamental shrimps.
But this isn’t an issue if you’re keeping sexy shrimps in a Nano tank, which is unlikely to have any large predatory fish and is more likely to use small fishes, such as a yellow clown or neon gobies.
Of course, adding the shrimps before the fish reduces the likelihood of your shrimp being eaten.
Triggerfishes, wrasses, hawkfishes, and angelfishes are not good tankmates because they are large predators. Clownfish would also be inappropriate because they don’t want anyone in their anemone!
Because sexy Shrimp get along well with others of their kind, keeping a bunch together is not difficult, although it will take up more room.
- Boxer crabs,
- snails (Cerith Snails, Bumble Bee Snails, Conch snails, Nassarius snails, and so on),
- porcelain crabs,
- Emerald crabs,
- cleaner Shrimp (Peppermint shrimp, Red Fire Shrimp, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp),
- Saron Shrimp, and
- Bumble Bee Shrimp rarely bother Sexy Shrimp. Porcelain anemone crabs, which require anemones as well, should have no problems.
Conclusions
What do you think? Is sexy shrimp alluring and attractive like the god of thunder they share their name? That may be a question of personal preference. The attention the sexy shrimp draw is undeniable. Everyone also takes a break to witness the spontaneous dance parties that take place. Because of this, these crustaceans are ideal for aquariums with a lot of movement and activity.
FAQs
What does a sexy shrimp do?
Sexy Shrimp is one of the most unique and beautiful aquatic organisms; they stand out not only in terms of looks but also in terms of behavior. A sexy shrimp, like any other aquatic species, is difficult to pet. The creatures are extremely sensitive and should be handled with caution. These shrimps appear charming, with their orange tint and large white dots that almost appear 3-D due to their blue outline. Their eyes are prominent, and their abdomens and tails tip up toward their heads.
Where do sexy Shrimp come from?
Sexy shrimps are commonly found in the tentacles of various sea anemones, where they live. Thor amboinensis is occasionally seen living free in dead corals, small cracks in rocks, and biogenic gravels. Thor amboinensis can be found in the Red Sea, the Indo-Pacific, the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. The western Atlantic includes the Bahamas, southern Florida, the Caribbean Sea, and Brazil, all located in the United States. The eastern Atlantic is home to the islands of Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the Cape Verde Islands, among others. Kenya, Madagascar, the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Islands, and the Northern Territory are all located in the Indo-West Pacific, as are the Andaman Islands and the Northern Territory.
What fish can live with sexy Shrimp?
Boxer crabs, snails (Cerith Snails, Bumble Bee Snails, Conch snails, Nassarius snails, and so on), porcelain crabs, Emerald crabs, cleaner Shrimp (Peppermint shrimp, Red Fire Shrimp, Skunk Cleaner Shrimp), Saron Shrimp, and Bumble Bee Shrimp can be good tankmates to Sexy Shrimp. Porcelain anemone crabs, which require anemones as well, would not create any problems.
What Coral do sexy Shrimp like?
Green star polyps (Pachyclavularia sp.), clove polyps (Clavularia sp.), and even mushrooms have been observed on Duncan’s Coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga) (Discosoma sp.). They’ve also been seen devouring zoanthids, so they’re only reef-safe if they’re well-nourished.
Do sexy shrimp need anemones?
They can be found among anemone tentacles, decaying Coral, and rock fissures wherever they go. As a result, Sexy Shrimp will like Coral, anemones, and rocks in a home aquarium.
