Pederson’s Cleaner Shrimp are a pretty cool addition worth considering if you can buy them in your area. They can make symbiotic relationships with certain anemones for protection and offer cleaning services for your fish.
But before adding them to your reef tank, it’s important to learn about their dietary habits and compatibility with other tank mates.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about these cleaner shrimp.
Quick Facts
- Common Names: Pederson’s Shrimp, Caribbean Anemone Shrimp
- Difficulty: Easy
- Role: Cleaner
- Diet: Omnivorous
- Temperament: Peaceful
- Reef Compatibility: Reef-safe
- Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
- Size: Up to 1″
- Lifespan: 3 to 5 years
- Reproduction: Challenging
- Native Region: Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico

What Pederson’s Cleaner Shrimp Look Like
The Pederson’s Cleaner Shrimp has a transparent body decorated with bluish and violet markings. Their front claws are quite long and banded in purple, which could be mistaken for an extra set of legs. They have a delicate yet busy appearance as they do their cleaning duties.

And those long white antennae? They’re not just for show! As seen in the Nat Geo Animals video below, they wave them around to attract fish for cleaning.
These shrimp are small, maxing out at about an inch long. Males tend to be even smaller than females, which can help if you’re trying to tell them apart.
And it’s easy to mix up this shrimp with others because of their similar roles and habitats. Here’s how you can tell them apart:
- Sexy Shrimp (Thor Amboinensis): They are brownish-orange with white spots, while Pederson’s Shrimp are translucent with vibrant blue and purple lines.
- Magnificent Shrimp (Ancylomenes Magnificus): Both are translucent, but Magnificent Shrimp have white and bluish markings, whereas Pederson’s Shrimp display more prominent blue and purple lines and longer antennae.

Diet and Feeding
In the wild, they feast on ectoparasites and dead tissue from fish, making them fantastic cleaners.
In your aquarium, they’ll happily eat algae, detritus, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, sinking pellets, and even small pieces of seafood.
Feed your Pederson’s Shrimp 2-3 times weekly to satisfy them. They’re not picky eaters but do appreciate variety. You might notice them actively seeking food or even coming up to be hand-fed after they’ve adjusted to your tank and feeding habits.
Providing a mix of proteins from meaty foods and plant-based nutrients ensures they get everything they need for proper growth and molting.

Feeding these shrimps can be quite entertaining as they dart around the tank, searching for morsels. Just keep in mind that while they’re excellent cleaners who’ll help control parasites naturally, making sure they have a varied diet is important to keep them happy and healthy in your reef tank!
Tank Setup
Setting up a perfect home for your Pederson’s Shrimp is simpler than you might think. First off, let’s talk substrate.
Lighting should be moderate.
You’ll also want plenty of live rock in the tank. This creates nooks and crannies where the shrimp can feel secure and go about cleaning and molting without stress.
I recommend keeping at least two Pederson Cleaner Shrimp together in a tank that’s around 20 gallons or more. Why? They do best with social interaction, and having company encourages their natural behaviors, including cleaning.
Don’t forget to consider adding corkscrew anemones or similar species because Pedersons Shrimp love forming symbiotic relationships with them. It’s like giving them a roommate they actually enjoy living with!
If you’re new to this, I highly recommend checking out my detailed guide on acclimation and water parameters for shrimp.
It covers everything from temperature equalization to making sure that your salinity levels are right. This will help make sure your shrimp settle in smoothly and remain healthy.
Behavior and Tank Mates
Their temperament is nothing short of peaceful, and they love socializing, often seen waving their long white antennae to attract fish for cleaning. They’re quite active during the day because that’s when fish are most available for cleaning sessions.
These shrimp get along well with a variety of reef-safe fish. Think smaller species that won’t view them as a snack. But be cautious with larger predatory fish like triggerfish, as they might see the shrimp as a tasty treat.
And what about corals? No worries there. Pederson’s Shrimp are reef-safe and won’t harm your corals or other invertebrates.
They molt regularly, which is normal crustacean behavior, so don’t be alarmed if you find an empty shell now and then.
Breeding and Reproduction
Breeding Pederson Cleaner Shrimp in a home reef tank is nothing short of challenging, like many other species.
While it’s possible to see mating behaviors after the female molts, the likelihood of successful breeding isn’t high without a dedicated setup. The larvae are planktonic, making them vulnerable in typical tanks where they could easily fall prey to other inhabitants or get caught in filters.
If you’re keen on trying to breed them, you’ll need to prepare a separate rearing system with precise conditions and frequent feedings of tiny foods like phytoplankton.
Given the complexity involved, focusing on maintaining healthy shrimp rather than breeding is more practical for most of us.
Common Health Issues
Symptoms to Watch For:
- Color Changes: If stressed, they might turn opaque or lose their colorful colors.
- Lethargy: Reduced activity levels could signal illness or poor water conditions.
- Molting Problems: Difficulty shedding their exoskeleton might indicate nutritional deficiencies or poor water quality (possibly calcium or rarely iodine).
Treatment Options:
- Improve Water Quality: Regularly check and maintain ideal water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate).
- Adjust Diet: Make sure to have a balanced diet with supplemental feedings of frozen foods and sinking pellets.
- Separate from Aggressors: If housed with predatory fish, consider relocating the shrimp to a safer environment.
Can You Keep Pederson’s Shrimp in a Reef Jar?
It’s not the best idea.
These shrimp need space to roam and interact with fish they clean. A reef jar’s limited size (often 2 gallons or less) just doesn’t provide enough room for them.
Maintaining stable water conditions in such small setups is tricky, which can lead to stress or health problems for the shrimp.
Instead, aim for at least a 20-gallon tank where they can display natural behaviors and contribute effectively as cleaners.