Cleaner Shrimp irritating my Zoas...any ideas to hinder this behavior?

[Airedale.Reef]

Picked up a zoa frag this afternoon. After a few hours in the tank, I noticed my cleaner shrimp walking all over it. I figured it was just checking it out, scrounging around for food, but almost positive I saw it pick out a polyp. Is this normal cleaner shrimp activity? 

[Tired]

What species of cleaner shrimp? If it's one of the peppermint types, it might not be reef-safe. 

 

Cleaner shrimp tend to bother corals by stomping on them looking for food. It'll likely be less interested once it's thoroughly inspected the new thing, but they are pesky little creatures. 

[Airedale.Reef]

Thanks - Yes, the skunk shrimp seems to walk all over it, but from what I can tell, it is not damaging it. Perhaps just a case of an overreaction.

[Tired]

Scarlet skunk cleaners are normally reef-safe, but will steal food from the mouths of corals, particularly LPS, which can pretty badly irritate them. Make sure it's getting enough to eat- they do need to be deliberately fed, not just left to scavenge. It should leave the zoas alone after it decides they aren't particularly interesting, and/or the zoas might get used to being stomped on.

[Airedale.Reef]

thanks for the insight!