Why does my cleaner shrimp run from fish?

I bought a cleaner shrimp to help the health of my tank. Had it for a month or two. Already shed 3 times. Seems healthy. Eats well. When I was moving rock it jumped on my arm and went to town.

So... I have a new Hippo Tang that has some sort of parasite. I also had a Coral Beauty that seems to have fin rot. His fins are real tattered and getting worse slowly. Noticed it when I bought the tank a couple of months ago.

My Beauty presents to the shrimp, but it runs. All it does is hang out on it's power head. It comes down at feeding and at night. However, it won't clean the beauty. Also, my Beauty is the least aggressive, slowest moving fish in my tank. I have never seen it clean anything, doubt it's helping the Hippo Tang.

It did eat a shrimp right out of my hand once though???

Any help is most appreciated. I'm a newb.

 

It may take a while. It took mine a month or two to figure it out. Chances are that the shrimp was bred in captivity and may not have even ever been in a tank with fish till now. Give it some time, it will get it.

 

breeding in capitivity makes sense. why it runs from the fish but not your hand.

 

Duh... I didn't really think of it. I mean, it is not scared of me at all. His power head is on the side of the tank that gets traffic and it does not even phase him.

The coral keeps trying, but the shrimp just runs back up to it's power head.

Well if that is the case, then the Coral Beauty will be the best teacher. Very mellow. I was thinking the Hippo was not getting cleaned because it is still very small and it might be afraid of the shrimp. Both of them really need some attention though. I hope he gets it soon.

Any ideas on how I could help it along???

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Holly Crap!!!

So I go down and put the cloths in the dryer, turn on the skimmer form feeding, and turn out the light. Moon lights are on and the shrimp is on some rocks. Going down his side of the tanks, feeling his way down the rock...

except now the Scopas comes out of his cave and feels his feelers and presents himself in the opening. The shrimp moves down and finds himself on a fish. Hangs out for a bit, then moves back to the rock. Scopas goes back inside.

My Scopas and Yellow chase each other all day. It isn't mellow like my Beauty. Maybe thing are moving better than I thought. How cool is that I was there to see something!

 

just took some time huh?

 

i thought my cleaner didnt know how to do his job either till i saw him riding my yellow tang across the tank one day 8)