Killer shrimp!!

MrsPuffs · #1 01/07/2007, 12:35 PM

A few months back I bought a coral banded shrimp. It seemed to be living nice with the other fish. Up untill about a week ago, it went on a killing spree. At least I think it hunted and killed 3 of my fish. The fish were doing great one day and then next morning I found half of it sticking out of my shrimps mouth and a big smile on his face. So I don't think the fish were already dead. Are they usualy this aggressive? Im wondering if this will become a habbit and if I should find him a new home as I am planning on going from a FOWLR tank to a reef tank. The rest of my fish are non-aggressive, reef safe, fish. Any input would help.

Thanks!

graveyardworm · #2 01/07/2007, 02:00 PM

MrsPuffs,

From what I can read coral banded shrimps arent generally aggressive towards fish. My guess would be that the fish died of other causes and the shrimp was just doing its job cleaning up.

How long has your tank been set up?

MrsPuffs · #3 01/07/2007, 02:16 PM

Its been up for almost a year. I have seen this shrimp pinch other fish before that got to close to IT"S rock. But never keep hold of one or hurt one as if it were going to eat it. It did get into a stinging/pinching fight with my long tentical anemone. The shrimp stays WAY out of the way of the anemone now. If my starfish is on the rockwork, it will get picked at also but it usualy stays on the glass.

graveyardworm · #4 01/07/2007, 02:26 PM

Perhaps yours is just a bully. Shrimps are a poor addition in reef tank anyway IMO. They tend to eat the little things which help make your sand bed and LR live, but then again I'm kinda a sand bed guy so maybe a little biased.

In Shimeks Marine invertebrates the cbs is described as " It will actvely clean fishes" I would take this to mean not aggressive towards fish..

MrsPuffs · #5 01/07/2007, 02:32 PM

Im very slowly changing to a deep sand bed. I have been hand feeding my shrimp bits of tiny shrimp meat to see if that will keep it happy. I feed it just before the lights go out, when it comes out from hiding. Do you think that will work?

graveyardworm · #6 01/07/2007, 02:38 PM

The feeding might keep it happy enough to stay away from the fish if it is the culprit, but it will still spend the entire day picking at the sand bed and LR. Its just what they're programmed to do.

MrsPuffs · #7 01/07/2007, 02:40 PM

Thanks so much for your input on this.

spawner · #8 01/07/2007, 03:34 PM

So you really think that CBS killed your fish. How about your fish died and he was eating it. I personally would love to see some video evidence of fish killing CBS so I can send them to my fish buddies who enjoy calling my shrimp fish food.

roader247 · #9 01/07/2007, 03:40 PM

I've had one in a 10 gallon with a very small clown for about a year now they were in a 75 I took down to work on the house but no problems with these two are you sure the shrimp got them and did not just find them dead they are good scavengers

billsreef · #10 01/07/2007, 03:43 PM

CBS are probably the least active cleaner of the "cleaner" of the cleaner shrimp. Not only do they tend to be intolerant of other shrimp, but I have seen large ones actively take down small fish.

MrsPuffs · #11 01/07/2007, 07:49 PM

My CBS, legs and all is about 6 in. long, thats not counting the LONG antennas. they alone are about 4 in long. It molted not to long ago. The fish it was eating was about an inch long.

MrsPuffs · #12 01/07/2007, 08:03 PM

No Roader, im not sure if the fish had died or not. I just know that the night before, right before the lights go off, I checked all my fish as I do every night, and they ate and were active and looked good. Then one after another, 3 fish were gone. It wasnt the same night, it skipped a night. Then the 3rd night it happend again. Then 4 nights later it happend again. I did check the water to see if anything was wrong. Everything tested good. So, I have no idea what happened. What I have read on the net is that they can become aggressive when they are adults. Only it says that they become that way to other shrimp. I can't find anything about other fish.

delsol650 · #13 01/09/2007, 11:41 AM

I've had a couple before during my first years of reefkeeping... not really good to have those.... looks nice but thats it... cleaning benefits I believe are for those of larger more aggressive fish... but CBS ARE aggressive and will attack smaller sesile individuals ie' fish and other tank mates shrimps etc...

I had one take out a large pair of skunk cleaners and bully a pair of blood shrimps and peps.. also tried to go after smaller fish like gobies...

will never get these again..