REFUGIUM ONLY - Banded coral shrimp / Boxer shrimp (Stenopus hispidus).

This is one of the larger Stenopus species. They are well known predators of fish, including fish as large as 3”-4” tangs. Although relatively peaceful as juveniles, and as they grow larger will start to predate on tankmates, often catching them when they are resting at night. Because this shrimp may have been in the aquarium 6-12 months as a juvenile without problems they are often last on the suspect list for why the odd fish goes missing. Sooner or later though this ferocious predator will slowly start working it’s way through all your fish. they also eat many inverts too. They are best housed in a sump or refugium, where they do a useful job scavenging and eating bristleworms. As this species normally inhabit dark caves they do not mind being kept in unlit tanks/sumps.

REFUGIUM ONLY ANIMALS

These are animals that generally are NOT suitable for keeping in most reef tanks!

These animals are best kept in refugiums or sumps. They make excellent clean up crew for areas of your system where food etc may accumulate where your other clean up crew cannot get to it. This helps to keep a system clean, meaning better water parameters for the display too. It also gives you the chance to keep something cool that you can’t keep in your main tank.

SIZE

Up to 4”.

COMPATIBILITY

Not reef safe. Refugium / sump only. Will eat most fish under 4”, and may injure larger fish. Will eat other shrimps, and may also attack some other inverts too. Inverts such as these may be eaten by some fish such as Triggers, Puffers, etc.